Tiger Woods Turns Down Huge Offer To Join Super Golf League

It's no secret that money talks in the realm of elite sport. We've seen it before in the world of soccer, with a proposed European Super League. This was a plan to include the very top teams within Europe to create an additional competition, which would run in a similar format to the English Premier League. 

Fans, for the most part, were firmly against the idea, with the same sentiments holding true for the Super League of professional golf. Perhaps the reason for this is that the two leagues share more than just a name. There are many similarities between the format of each.

Commonly referred to as the Super Golf League, the LIV Golf Series is a tournament that will play weekly competitions, spanning across a total of 54 holes. These events would be contested between 48 of the world's very best golfers, with roughly $3 million being awarded to the winner. Finally, all of the action would be condensed into a five-hour TV program, making it easy for fans worldwide to watch. 

The reason for this league being controversial is that it is being financed solely by the Saudi Arabian government. While this does allow large sums of money to be pumped into the sport, the government has been accused of crimes related to the violation of human rights, amongst other things. 

In a nutshell, it's reported that Tiger Woods turned down this offer, which was said to be worth in the high 9-digit range, on a matter of principle. The morals of the Saudi Arabian government, as previously mentioned, have been questionable, to say the very least. 

Although nearing the end of his golfing career, Woods would rather be competing for major titles instead of claiming vast amounts of cash to play in a league that is thought by many to be much less competitive than PGL alternatives. 

You might not be surprised to know that the golfing pros are somewhat divided on the proposal of a Super League. For example, Bryson DeChambeau was in talks to become one of the main faces of the brand. Reportedly, he was willing to participate, with an offer close to 100M being made to the golfing superstar. 

Lee Westwood has also made a statement confirming that he is interested in the idea. He made the point that at the stage of his career, it would make sense to accept a lucrative deal, perhaps teeing him up perfectly for retirement. Although, as previously mentioned, this clearly isn’t the stance of Tiger Woods.

Virtually all of the top players got an offer to participate in this league, with some partaking in the Saudi International event featured on the Asian Tour. This includes the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Dustin Johnson, and Ian Poulter. It’s thought that this event could be the starting point for the Super Golf League, so attending could be a clear sign of the golfers' intentions for the future.