Monday 13 June 2022 12:43 AM Jamal Khashoggi's widow calls for golf's majors to ban Phil Mickelson, Saudi ... trends now
The widow of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post correspondent alleged to have been murdered by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman, slammed golfers who have taken a check from the LIV Golf Tour Sunday, including Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau are among those accused of being 'complicit' in the 'whitewashing' of Saudi Arabia's reputation by cashing in with the controversial, renegade LIV Invitational Series, which is owned by the MBS-controlled Saudi Public Investment Fund.
Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's widow, trashed the golfers as mercenaries taking money from murderers who should be banned from all other competitions.
'If they still carry on and play as if everything is normal, then they should be banned from playing in the world's major tournaments,' Cengiz told USA Today. 'This will show that there are consequences for supporting murderers, and it will show the murderers that they are not escaping justice.'
Every player taking part in the rogue league has been suspended by the PGA, but they don't control the Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open Championship, golf's four majors.
Hatice Cengiz, the widow of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post correspondent alleged to have been murdered by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman, slammed golfers who have taken a check from the LIV Golf Tour Sunday, including Phil Mickelson
Khashoggi's widow, trashed Mickelson and his cohorts as mercenaries taking money from murderers who should be banned from all other competitions
'If they still carry on and play as if everything is normal, then they should be banned from playing in the world's major tournaments,' Cengiz said. 'This will show that there are consequences for supporting murderers, and it will show the murderers that they are not escaping justice'
Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau are among those accused of being 'complicit' in the 'whitewashing' of Saudi Arabia's reputation by cashing in with the controversial, renegade LIV Invitational Series, which is owned by the MBS-controlled Saudi Public Investment Fund
'They should be insisting on justice for Jamal and the countless persons targeted and abused in the Kingdom,' Cengiz added, 'and they should not be participating in sports paid for by the very abusers.'
On the eve of the tour's debut competition at Centurion Club in England, Mickelson squirmed his way through his first press conference since February, refusing to say whether or not he has been banned from the PGA Tour after his defection.
The 51-year-old Californian had previously described the Saudis as 'scary motherf***ers' and said he was well aware of the nation's 'horrible record on human rights' - including the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi - in an interview with the author of a new unauthorised biography.
Yet Mickelson is reportedly being paid $200million (£160m) to compete at LIV Golf events, starting this week in England.
Today he declined to confirm if he is receiving the enormous fee, but his answer indicated the reported sum may be accurate. 'I feel that contract agreements should be private,' Mickelson said. 'Doesn’t seem to be the case, but it should be.'
In his first appearance in front of the media in months, Mickelson was wearing a cap featuring his own personal logo, having been dropped by long-term sponsor KPMG due to the Saudi furore. In contrast to his previously long-term squeaky clean public image, Mickelson was also unshaven.
Asked about Saudi Arabia's record of human rights abuses, which include a mass public execution of 81 people in March this year, Mickelson added: 'I don't condone human rights violations at all. Nobody here does.
Phil Mickelson has endured a difficult press conference after defecting to the LIV Golf tour
Mickelson squirmed and dodged questions as he appeared at the Saudi-backed golf event
Mickelson previously called the Saudis 'scary motherf***ers' but has now taken their money
'I'm aware of what has happened with Jamal Khashoggi and it's terrible. I have also seen the good that the game of golf has done throughout history and I believe LIV Golf is going to do a lot of good for the game as well.
'I don't condone human rights violations. I don't know how I can be more clear.
'I understand that many people have strong opinions and may disagree with this decision. I can empathise with that.
'But at this time this is an opportunity that gives me a chance to have the most balance in my life going forward and I think it's going to do a lot of good for the game.'
As well as infamously calling the Saudis 'scary mother f***ers', Mickelson had previously insisted to his unauthorised biographer Alan Shipnuck that working with the Saudis was a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates' while also accusing the Tour of 'obnoxious greed'.
The LIV Golf series is handing out £200m in prize money to those golfers it can lure from the traditional golf
