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It may have been hit by a raft of rejections – but according to Greg Norman, the Saudi Golf League is not going away.
Norman, the chief executive of LIV Golf Investments, wrote to players on Tuesday claiming the breakaway circuit will launch.
And he revealed details of the new league’s first events will be made public today, while pledging any new schedule will be “in addition to, not in place of” the current setups.
He remains undeterred despite PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan promising players who join the new venture will face bans.
• Monahan tells Saudi stars to “walk out the door”
• What is LIV Golf Investments?
“We consider ourselves a start-up,” Norman wrote in his letter, which was first reported by Bob Harig in Sports Illustrated and was shared on social media in the early hours of Wednesday.
“Our schedule has always been designed in deference to the majors and heritage championships. LIV Golf has been consistent in its desire to complement the annual tour schedules and wider golf ecosystem.
“From the beginning, we designed this so players have the choice to play any tour, and in LIV Golf events, and actively encourage you to do so. We will not ask you to choose one or the other. This is in addition to, not in place of, your current tour schedule.
“We may start with a modest number of players, but we won’t stay that way for long. I fully understand some players may choose not to play with us right away. But after we get going, I believe many of those who aren’t with us now will be with us later. I want to thank you for your patience, but know, it will be worth your while.
“While we respect that some of you may have concerns, know that we will work tirelessly with you to alleviate them. Our goal always will be to let you focus on your playing performance, while benefitting from new opportunities, whenever you are ready for them.”
• Mickelson admits using Saudi league for ‘leverage’
• Saudi golf league announces UK event
“You should know that we are launching, and we will continue to drive this vision forward. We will not stop,” he added, before revealing the first events will be announced on Wednesday.
The planned breakaway venture has been rocked in recent weeks by a host of top players committing their futures to the PGA Tour.
It has also been affected by Phil Mickelson’s conduct, with the six-time major winner referring to the Saudi backers as “scary m***********s” and admitting he had used the venture for “leverage” over Monahan.
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