very far) behind the others. There’s only ever been one out gay player on the PGA Tour, and an out golfer has never competed in The Masters, the sport’s most iconic tournament.
But this week, golf reached a new nadir when it comes to fostering a welcoming environment for gay players. The PGA Tour’s merger with the Saudi-backed league, LIV Golf, shows that LGBTQ+ inclusion isn’t on the sport’s radar… at all.
When LIV Golf launched last year, the leaders of the PGA Tour vowed they would never allow their sport to be sullied. Big name players who jumped to the upstart league–including Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson–were banned from PGA events.
With financial support from the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf used some of the richest contracts in golf history to lure decorated players over.