Human Rights Reminder To European Tour Golfers: Haotong Li Still Alive, But Jamal Khashoggi Is Not
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European Tour Chief Keith Pelley finds the treatment of Haotong Li “grossly unfair” as did many of the very players heading to Saudi Arabia this week, reports Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier.
In fact, Eddie Pepperell, horrified by Li’s treatment under the rules is even making jokes about teeing it up in Saudia Arabia:
For a man who likes to read, Pepperell may want to brush up on Saudi Arabia’s record before cracking jokes.
He’s not alone, as Ian Poulter is playing a low IQ card. He is not a stupid man.
From Iain Carter’s BBC Sport report:
Most players are interested in little else. "I'm probably not the most educated man in the world to sit down and have a discussion about politics," Ian Poulter told BBC Sport.
"I tend to err on the other side and try not to go too deep into that because my IQ is not great.
"Obviously, we all know what's going on around the world, but when I see the tour trying to make good and give us opportunities then I think it is a good thing."
He went on to cite the world rankin points in play. So maybe he’s not entirely wrong about the low IQ.
Sadly, not one of the parties taking the Crown Prince’s money this week has brought themselves to condemn the person putting up this week’s purse for the hideous demise of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Or countless other grotesque acts against humans.
The Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who Pelley credited with envisioning this tournament, is the likely green-lighter of this event. So to recap: journalist murdered and dismembered in October and the European Tour forges ahead even though most world intelligence agencies pin the hideous act on the tournament host.
But the R&A for not letting European Tour referees give Haotong Li and his caddie a hall pass?
Grossly unfair!
Here’s my first take for Golfweek on Pelley’s attempt to distract from this week’s disastrous money grab as well as a plea to not throw out the new golf Rules baby with the bathwater.
Randall Mell at GolfChannel.com takes on the players participating in this event and claiming they are not politicians.
Corporations are known for their often blind pursuit of the bottom line, but tour pros aren’t blind, though they may be going to Saudi Arabia with their eyes closed.
“It is not the Saudi Arabian people who ordered Khashoggi murdered,” Kenneth Roth, head of the Human Rights Watch, told France’s AFP during the World Economic Forum last week. “It is a particular government and a particular leader.
“I think the real question now is who gave the command.”
If the crown prince were to show up to present the trophy Sunday at the Saudi International, it probably wouldn’t be a good time to ask.
