WASHINGTON: Jack Nicklaus pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour on Tuesday, saying no amount of money could have tempted him to take on a leadership role with a new Saudi-backed golf series.
The 82-year-old golfing icon revealed earlier this month he had turned down an offer worth more than $100 million to act as one of the faces of the LIV Golf International Series.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament, Nicklaus said he had met with the organisers of the Saudi-funded circuit out of courtesy as he was designing a golf course for them.
But Nicklaus emphasised that taking on a role with the upstart tour was never an option.
“I did it out of courtesy to them because we’re doing a golf course for them,” Nicklaus told reporters.
“I’ve got zero interest in wanting to do something like that. I don’t care what kind of money they would have thrown at me.
“My allegiance has been to the PGA Tour. I grew up on the PGA Tour. I helped found the PGA Tour as it is today.
“My allegiance is there, and it’s going to stay there.”
Questions swirl over Saudi-backed breakaway golf tour
The emergence of LIV Golf has dominated the sport this season, with Phil Mickelson triggering uproar after remarks in which referred to the venture’s Saudi backers as “scary” with a “horrible record on human rights.”
Mickelson has not played since the comments, while a slew of players are reportedly considering playing on the series.
Nicklaus meanwhile sidestepped a question about whether players who opted to join LIV Golf might not receive invites to play at his Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
“The PGA TOUR will answer that,” Nicklaus said. “I don’t think that’s my question, frankly. We live by the rules of whatever the PGA TOUR is. That’s what we do.”
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