“People have their opinions” - Bryson DeChambeau slams 'completely inaccurate' LIV Golf 'sportswashing' claims
Bryson DeChambeau has defended LIV Golf against claims of it being a ‘sportswashing’ move for the Saudi Arabian regime. Dubbing the claims as being "completely inaccurate," DeChambeau said “people have their opinions and perspectives” which could be wrong.
Earlier this week, LIV Golf faced some heat as Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea, a specialist in Saudi politics, called out the series as being a blatant example of ‘sportswashing.’ Speaking in an interview with ABC News, Shea said that the Saudi regime was looking to hide its “egregious abuses” with sports events like LIV. When asked about these claims, DeChambeau dismissed them and dubbed it "completely inaccurate."
Speaking to the media ahead of LIV Golf Adelaide, Bryson DeChambeau said, as quoted by Golf Monthly:
"Well, we talked about that last year, and we already kind of kicked that to the curb. It's something that I truthfully believe is completely inaccurate. People have their opinions and their perspectives on it, but we certainly don't feel that way. We're playing golf here."
It is pertinent to note that LIV Golf has been controversial ever since its inception. The Saudi-backed circuit has been on the receiving end of harsh criticism for being funded by the regime, often linked with the 9/11 incident and several other human rights violation cases. Players on LIV have also faced criticism for joining hands with the controversial side.
Greg Norman slams 'hypocritical' criticism of LIV Golf
Earlier last year, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman came out in defense of his series amid sportswashing claims. The Aussie slammed other circuits like PGA Tour for its “hypocrisy” while dealing with controversial entities.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored in September, Greg Norman said:
"The hypocrisy coming out of this is so deafening it's ridiculous. The PGA Tour has title sponsors that have a great working relationship, for a commercial opportunity, with the Saudi Government and with the PIF."
Meanwhile, speaking on One Nation with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News, he further added:
“Look, I’m disappointed people go down that path, quite honestly. If they want to look at it in 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 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."
Despite the criticism and sportswashing claims, LIV continues to thrive. It’s safe to say that the Saudi-backed circuit has established itself as a major series within two years of its inception.