John MacDonald: We'd be hypocrites if we said no to LIV Golf

If you don’t like the idea of Saudi Arabia putting money into sport, then tell anyone you know who supports Manchester City to burn their shirt. 

If you don’t like the idea of Saudi Arabia putting money into sport, then tell anyone you know who’s right into Formula 1 that they should be ashamed of themselves. 

If you don’t like the idea of Saudi Arabia putting money into sport, then you’ll be with New Zealand golfing legend Sir Bob Charles who doesn’t want a bar of the LIV Golf Tour coming to Christchurch.  

The golf tour which is funded by Saudi Arabia. And which has been accused of using sport to cover up Saudi Arabia's appalling human rights record.  

Amnesty International says the Saudis are still executing people; they discriminate against women; they treat migrants poorly; they punish and even kill people for being anything other than heterosexual. 

But they’re also investing like there’s no tomorrow in sport. Football, Formula 1 motor racing, horse racing, cricket, boxing, tennis, wrestling, mixed martial arts, eSports and golf.    

Which is how LIV Golf came about - as an alternative to the staid and traditional PGA Golf Tour. It’s been a disruptor. Just like the Indian Premier Cricket League.  

And, as well as being accused of sportswashing —or trying to use sport as a distraction from the way Saudi Arabia treats people— it’s also put noses out of joint by signing mega million-dollar deals with the sport's stars. 

And it could be coming to Christchurch as early as next year.  

The understanding is that LIV Golf has its eyes on either the Clearwater or Shirley courses. It already has an event in Adelaide which, apparently, went off big time when it was held there earlier this year. 

Nearly a hundred thousand people turned up. And I’m no golf expert but, talking to people who know a thing-or-two about golf, they say that LIV Golf is a bit like a cross between golf and the rugby sevens.  

Because of the way that it’s all about the experience for the spectators. A bit like SailGP, actually, too. An experience for the spectators as much as it is a sporting event. 

With LIV Golf they have music out on the greens. I gather, too, that the crowds are allowed to get closer to the action. So it’s all about putting on a great time for the people who turn up. 

And like SailGP, for example, it probably gets your non-golfing types going along as much as your golfing types.  

But local golfing legend, Sir Bob Charles —who lives in Christchurch— doesn’t want a bar of it.  

He says he wants nothing to do with it because of the way it has divided the sport.  

Here’s what he’s been saying to the NZ Herald: “I hope they’re not playing at either of my golf courses. I don’t endorse LIV Golf in any way. In fact, quite the opposite. I want nothing to do with it. I wouldn’t walk across the street to watch.”   

But it seems there are a truckload of people who do cross the road to watch. I base that on the turn-out to events LIV has already held. 

I mentioned Adeliade earlier - that’s the closest the tour has come to New Zealand. So far, anyway. My understanding is that it wants to have an event in New Zealand that it could run either before or after the one in Adeliade. 

There’s been interest from other parts of Australia but LIV Golf doesn’t want to have another event on that side of the Tasman, and New Zealand is its preference. Which is why some of its people have visited Christchurch to check the place out. 

LIV Golf has proved hugely popular with younger people, in particular.  

In Adelaide, there was partying well into the night. Here’s an idea of how much of a party it was - they sold nearly 120-thousand beers. And it was brilliant for tourism, with 40 percent of people travelling to Adelaide from elsewhere. 

So yes, I’m not into Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Which is putting it mildly. But I think, just by the sheer level of its involvement in global sport, that the horse has already bolted and we shouldn't be turning our back on LIV Golf heading to Christchurch.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm feeling a little bit torn over the prospect of
the controversial golf tour coming to christ Church next year.
It's mainly controversial because of the fact that's funded by
Saudi Arabia, which has a shocking human rights record, which
I'll touched on shortly. But I think where I'm landing

(00:33):
is that I think it will be nuts for us
to turn our back on it, because if you don't
like the idea of Saudi Arabia putting money into sport,
then tell anyone you know who supports Manchester City to
burn their shirt. If you don't like the idea of
Saudi Arabia putting money into sport, and tell anyone you
know who's into Formula one they should be ashamed of themselves.

(00:57):
And if you don't like the idea of Saudi Arabia
putting money into sport, then you'll be with New Zealand
golfing legend Sir Bob Charles, who are saying today he
doesn't want a bar of the Live Golf Tour if
it comes to christ Church. The golf Tour, which is
funded by Saudi Arabia and which has been accused of
using sport to cover up Saudi Arabia's appalling human rights records.

(01:19):
So Amnesty International, this is what they say about the Saudis.
They say, the Saudis are still executing people, They discriminate
against women, they treat migrants poorly, They punish and even
kill people for being anything other than heterosexual. So yeah,
they're not big on human rights. But they're also investing

(01:40):
like there's no tomorrow in sport. Football mentioned that already
Formula one mentioned that already horse racing, cricket, boxing, tennis, wrestling,
mixed martial arts, esports, even e sports and golf, which
is how live golf came about as an alternative to

(02:02):
the staid and traditional PGA tour. It's been a rap,
isn't It's just like the Indian Premier League or the
IPL in cricket. And as well as being accused of
sports washing or sport washing or trying to use sport
as a distraction from the way Saudi Arabia treats people,
it's also put noses out of joint by the way

(02:24):
it's divided professional golf by signing Mega million dollar deals
with the sports biggest stars, and it could be coming
to christ Church as early as next year. The understanding
is that Live Golf has its eyes on either the
clear Water or the Shirley courses. It already has an
event in Adelaide, which apparently went off big time when
it was held there earlier this year. There was one

(02:44):
last year as well. This year nearly one hundred thousand
people turned up. And I'm no golf expert, but talking
earlier this morning to some people who know a thing
or two about golf, they say live golf was a
bit like a cross between golf and the rugby sevens
because of the way that it's all about the experience
for spectators or sale GP as well, you know, an

(03:07):
experience for the spectators as much as it is a
sporting event. So with live Golf, what they do is
they have music out on the greens. Can't you imagine
all the traditionalists hating them? And I gather too that
the crowds are allowed to get closer to the actions.
It's all about putting on a great time for the
people who turn up to watch. And just like Samuel
GP for example, it probably gets your non non golfing

(03:28):
types going along as much as your golfing types, a
bit like Cup week. You know, people go to the races,
but they don't any other time of the year, but
they go along for the party. But local golfing legend,
Sir Bob Charles, who lives here, he doesn't want a
bar of it. He says he wants nothing to do
with it because of the way of the way it's
divided the sport. Here's what he's been saying to the

(03:49):
New Zealand Herald. Quote this is Sir Bob Charles. I
hope they're not playing at either of my golf courses.
I don't endorse live golf in any way. In fact,
quite the opposite, he says, I want nothing to do
with it. I wouldn't walk across the street to watch. Quote.
But it seems that there are a truckload of people
who do cross the road to watch, and I based

(04:11):
that on the turnout to events Live has already held.
I mentioned Adelaide earlier. That's the closest the tour has
come to New Zealand so far. So far, anyway, my
understanding is it wants to have an event in New
Zealand that it could run either before or after the
one in Adelaide. It's been interested from other parts of Australia.
They saw what happened in Adelaide thought oh, we'll live

(04:33):
a bit of that. But Live Golf said thanks, but
no thanks, because it wants to have an event on
either side of the Tasman and so some of its
people have been to christ Church to check the place out,
and Live Golf, by the way, is or seems to
be extremely popular with younger people. In Adelaide, there was
partying well into the night at a brilliant time. I mean,

(04:55):
here's an idea of how much of a party it was.
They sold nearly one hundred and twenty thousand beers. I
think it was one hundred and seventeen thousand beers, and
it was brilliant for tourism, with forty percent of people
traveling to Adelaide from elsewhere. So yes, yes, don't get
me wrong. I'm not into Saudi Arabia's human rights record,
which is putting it mildly, but I think just by

(05:16):
the sheer level of its involvement in global sport, the
horse has already bolted and I think we should be
doing what we can to get live golf.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Here to christ Church for more from Canterbory Mornings with
John McDonald. Listen live to news talks It'd Be christ
Church from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast on
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