NEW PROVIDENCE, Bahamas — A recent winner and one of the game’s most high-profile players summed it up best when explaining the controversy surrounding Phil Mickelson’s decision to play next month in Saudi Arabia: “It’s a no-win situation.”
Even Tiger Woods agreed on this point. The 15-time major champion, who reportedly turned down an appearance fee of around $3 million to play the Saudi International on the European tour, did not necessarily do so out of political protest.
“I just don’t want to go,” Woods told ESPN.com. “It’s a long way.”
Woods admitted that the Saudi tournament, now in its second year, has more complications than an extended flight. The first edition of the event in 2019 took place just months after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post writer living in the United States who had criticized Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and who was killed in interior of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. , Turkey. Saudi Arabia has also been criticized for other human rights violations.
The crown prince, whose government provides a $3.5 million purse as well as lucrative fees to a handful of players, was a prominent figure at last year’s tournament.
“I understand the politics behind it,” Woods said on the eve of his Hero World Challenge. “But golf can also help heal all of that. This can help develop that. There are also many other top players who will be playing that week.
“It’s not traditionally a hotbed of golf in the Middle East, but it’s grown significantly,” Woods continued. “I remember going to Dubai for the first time and seeing what, maybe two, three buildings on the skyline when you were playing at No. 8. Now there’s a New York skyline there. The game of golf has grown. There were only a few classes when I first went to Dubai, now they are everywhere; same in Abu Dhabi and perhaps eventually in Saudi Arabia.
Rory McIlroy has also reportedly turned down a large appearance fee for next year’s tournament, and Paul Casey has already openly stated that he will not be participating in the event.
Several other top players are expected to compete, however, including defending champion Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson, Tony Finau and Open champion Shane Lowry.
Mickelson, meanwhile, opted to skip the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a tournament he has competed in since 1990, to take place in the Middle East. Although a handful of players Golf Digest spoke with found it curious that Mickelson, a five-time major winner with more than $90 million in career earnings, would skip the trip to TPC Scottsdale, most didn’t. critical.
“Anyone who criticizes Phil’s departure, if they were in the same position, would probably do the same thing,” one major winner told Golf Digest. “But it’s a little different when it comes to Phil because (the money from appearance fees) isn’t going to change his life.”
What comes into play in such decisions?
“If the right numbers are called, it can be hard to say no,” Rickie Fowler said when asked about the thought process behind the decision to play or not.
“Some guys like to travel, some guys don’t,” Fowler said. “Myself and (my wife) Allison love to experience new places, love culture, history and food. The most important thing for me when deals come in is knowing where they fit in the timeline and how they’re going to affect the things around them. Yes, money is a good thing, but if it doesn’t work out in terms of hours, it will outweigh a good salary.
According to Fowler, he prefers to play in Phoenix and will defend his title next year at TPC Scottsdale.
Regardless, players say they consider several factors when it comes to playing somewhere.
“There’s probably no amount of money I would take to go play in Hong Kong right now,” Jordan Spieth said, pointing to the ongoing protests that have paralyzed that city. “But it’s as much a safety issue as anything else.”
Although Spieth has not received an offer to play internationally for Saudi Arabia, he said that when it comes to his own schedule, the choices aren’t always easy.
“It can be tricky,” he said. “You have to weigh the money versus the commitment.”
For Mickelson and other players determined to play in Saudi Arabia, the backlash they receive is apparently worth it.
