A Saudi women’s rights activist has sent an open letter to the LPGA Tour begging the circuit to resist a potential merger with LIV Golf.
Lina Alhathloul – whose sister spent over 1000 days in prison for campaigning for women’s rights – warned players and LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan that an alignment with LIV would “only add a layer of repression to women” inside Saudi Arabia.
This comes amid intense rumours that a women’s LIV Golf league could soon be coming to fruition.
“I have been following the news of the different golf tournaments and potential involvement of the LPGA with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf.” Alhathloul wrote. “We, Saudi women’s rights activists, believe that any involvement with the current Saudi regime will only add a layer of repression to women inside the country.”
Talk of a merger between LIV Golf and the LPGA Tour was triggered back in June when Marcoux Samaan told The Times she would be prepared to take a phone call from CEO Greg Norman.
The prospect was then escalated when Norman admitted a women’s league “is in the forefront of my mind”, followed by LPGA star Charley Hull confessing a series would be “mad not to consider.”
With the speculation heightening week by week, Alhathloul has now called on LPGA members and stakeholders to resist LIV’s big-money temptation and “consider the human rights impact” of a potential merger.
“I understand that you might believe that your involvement with such a country could positively impact their fate.” She continued. “But, given the present context, your participation in events hosted by the Crown Prince will only help rehabilitate him and cover up all the violations.
“I urge you to consider the human rights impact of your potential involvement with LIV Golf and use your influence to positively raise the situation of women in the country and to publicly distance yourself from the Saudi regime.”
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