Golf legend Greg Norman fired back at the PGA-linked critics of LIV Golf during the U.S. Open, saying, "The hypocrisy in all this, it's so loud. It's deafening."
Norman is the public face of the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Series, which offers golfers more money. It has lured away several top golfers, including Phil Mickelson.
Critics have accused the golfers of putting money over conscience, including sports broadcaster Bob Costas, who said they are taking "blood money."
A 9/11 survivors group issued a statement noting that Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 attackers were Saudis.
"Look, I'm disappointed people go down that path, quite honestly," Norman said, USA Today Sports reported. "If they want to look at it in a prism, then why does the PGA Tour have 23 sponsors doing 40-plus billion dollars worth of business with Saudi Arabia? Why is it OK for the sponsors? Will [PGA Tour Commissioner] Jay Monahan go to each and every one of those CEOs of the 23 companies that are investing into Saudi Arabia and suspend them and ban them? The hypocrisy in all this, it's so loud. It's deafening."
LIV golfers currently are allowed to participate in major tournaments for now, but United States Golf Association CEO Mike Whan said last week that it could become more difficult.
The PGA Tour already has banned players from its events if they participate in the LIV.
The problem is that LIV golfers aren't awarded Official World Rankings points, but Norman said he is planning to address that issue and will apply to get players points as early as Monday.
"We're not going anywhere; we want to do what's right for the fans, for the players, and for our commercial business model," Norman said.
Norman noted that Saudi Arabia sponsors the Aramco Series, a four-event set of women's tournaments. They also have invested in Uber, Facebook, Nintendo, and Boeing, Fox's Brian Kilmeade said when interviewing Norman.
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