Saudi Arabia’s capital, so-called ‘oil money’, is shaking up the men’s and women’s tour game by making aggressive investments in the golf world.메이저놀이터 It is to seduce famous players by increasing the size of the prize money by about five times compared to the previous competition. As the US Professional Golf Association (PGA) and the US Women’s Professional Golf Association (LPGA) focus their efforts on strengthening their market dominance against the accumulated influence, the movement of the ‘authentic tour’ to check them is also spreading. Obstacles to growth, such as securing television broadcasting rights and granting world ranking points, are obvious, but little by little changes are being detected in the eyes that were uncomfortable with the oil money offensive.
The Ladies European Tour (LET) Saudi Aramco Ladies International, which will be held at the King Abdullah Royal Greens Golf and Country Club (par 72, 6295 yards) in Saudi Arabia for four days from the 16th, has a total prize money of 5 million dollars (about 6.4 billion won), a five-fold increase from last year. all. The prize money also increased from 130,000 dollars (approximately 165 million won) last year to 750,000 dollars (approximately 950 million won).
The competition is sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Sovereignty Fund (PIF). Considering that the total prize money of the 12 tournaments held by the LET last year averaged 300,000 euros (approximately 410 million won), you can get a glimpse of how strong oil money is willing to invest. Last year, the average total prize money of 34 tournaments on the LPGA Tour was $2.75 million, and this season, the average total prize money of 33 tournaments is less than $3,072,800. US Golf Week evaluated that “(Saudi Ladies International) provides a life-changing opportunity to many players.”
In the men’s division, the LIV Golf Invitational Series (LIV Golf) is preparing for a new season with an expanded prize pool. LIV Golf, launched last year, is also sponsored by the PIF. Last year, a total prize money of 255 million dollars (approximately 314.7 billion won) was bet on 8 tournaments, and this year, the total prize money of 14 tournaments was 405 million dollars (approximately 516.5 billion won). The PGA Tour, which is on the opposite side of LIV Golf, pours a total prize money of $415 million (approximately 529.3 billion won) into 47 tournaments in the 2022-2023 season. Although the number of tournaments is less than LIV Golf, the size of the total prize money is set at a similar level.
As the total prize money increased, the enthusiasm for participating in the oil money-sponsored competitions also increased. A total of 120 players participate in the Saudi Ladies International, and 50 of the top 300 players in the world, including Lydia Ko (New Zealand), the world’s No. 1 in women’s golf, will participate. Lydia Ko did not play in the LPGA Tour Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions last month.
Meghan McLaren (England), who was concerned that the investment of Saudi capital aimed at golf as ‘sports washing’ to quell criticism of national human rights issues, also expressed a more relaxed stance on her enormous financial power. He recently posted on his social network service (SNS), “After all, money is power and we live in a world where that is the truth.” There will be,” he said.
The PGA Tour took measures to prevent participation in tournaments hosted by the PGA Tour after key players left for LIV golf. Starting this season, if prospective players such as college students and amateurs participate in unsanctioned tournaments such as LIV golf, they will not be able to participate in all official tournaments of the PGA Tour for one year. Separately, 17 competitions in the 2022-2023 season were designated as ‘special competitions’ and the total prize money was raised to $15 million to $20 million. Top 20 players in the last season’s PGA Tour player influence index must participate in all but one of these events.
In addition, Tiger Woods (USA) and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), who are supporters of the PGA Tour, established a joint venture company TMRW Sports in August last year and decided to establish a Screen Golf League (TGL) from January next year. It is a paving stone to protect key players from LIV golf. Major tournament champions such as Justin Thomas (USA), John Rahm (Spain), Colin Morikawa (USA), and Adam Scott (Australia) have promised to join the league.