NEW YORK (Reuters) – LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman will meet with U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week to discuss the Saudi-backed circuit’s ongoing dispute with the U.S.-based PGA Tour, the Washington Post reported on Monday.
“LIV Golf is coming to the Hill this week to meet with lawmakers from both parties,” a LIV spokesperson told the paper in a statement.
“Given the PGA Tour’s attempts to stifle our progress in reimagining the game, we think it’s imperative to educate members on LIV’s business model and counter the Tour’s anti-competitive efforts.”
LIV did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. It was not clear from the report which lawmakers the golf circuit would meet or whether they would include those from both the House and Senate.
Critics say LIV Golf, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, amounts to “sportswashing” by a nation trying to improve its reputation in the face of criticism over its human rights record.
The PGA Tour has suspended players that have been lured away by the staggering sums of money the circuit has offered. LIV counts 12 major winners among its players and offers $25 million purses in no-cut 54-hole tournaments.
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the PGA Tour for potential antitrust violations. LIV has also joined a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by some players over their suspensions.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in New York; Editing by Toby Davis)
