European Tour Under Fire for Upcoming Golf Tournament in Saudi Arabia

The European Tour and its golfers are taking heat ahead of this week’s Saudi International golf tournament, with many critics questioning why the tour is playing in Saudi Arabia following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in September.

Many of the top players in the world have committed to the tournament, both as an opportunity to get in an early season event and because of lucrative appearance fees that are allowed under European Tour rules.

Middle Eastern Tournaments Increasingly Popular

Outside of the political backdrop, traveling to Saudi Arabia makes sense for the tour. Destinations in the Middle East allow the tour to extend its schedule, with events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai already having taken place in January.

““We can’t play anywhere in Europe this time of year,” European Tour CEO Keith Pelley told the Golf Channel. “The Middle East becomes very important to us, from a climate perspective, to the ease of travel, to the quality of golf courses.”

But heading to Saudi Arabia, particularly in the current political climate, is a different animal. Some players have decided not to accept invitations to the tournament, with Paul Casey sharing his decision on Instagram.

“As I continue to face questions about my participation, I feel it is important to clarify that I will not be playing in next week’s Saudi International event,” Casey wrote. “Plus contrary to reports I had also never signed a contract to play. I hope this addresses any confusion.”

Players Brush Aside Political Concerns

But a wide range of top competitors will be in Saudi Arabia this weekend. And while the exact defenses offered for participating have varied, they’ve shared a common thread: that competing in a golf tournament has nothing to do with politics.

“I’m not a politician, I’m a pro golfer,” said Justin Rose, the world’s top ranked golfer, after winning the Farmers Insurance Open on Sunday. “There’s other reasons to go play it. It’s a good field, there’s going to be a lot of world ranking points to play for. By all accounts, it’s a good golf course and it will be an experience to experience Saudi Arabia.”

“Unfortunately, it’s in a part of the world where most people don’t agree with what happened, and I definitely don’t support anything like that,” Dustin Johnson told the Associated Press. “I’m going to play golf, not support them. I’m not a politician. I play golf.”

‘Sportswashing’ Seen as Rebranding Strategy

Some, like The Guardian’s Marina Hyde, have called the Saudi International a form of “sporstswashing” – the process of using sporting events, which are widely viewed as being apolitical, to improve a country’s image.

“As Amnesty has warned, ‘It’s clear that countries like Saudi Arabia are well aware of the potential for sport to subtly ‘rebrand’ a country,’” Hyde wrote.

The Saudi International isn’t the first controversial event to take place in Saudi Arabia since the Khashoggi killing. The WWE faced intense criticism when it decided to go ahead with its Crown Jewel event in Riyahd in early November, just the second event in a lucrative long-term deal between the professional wrestling company and the Middle Eastern kingdom.