A gaggle representing victims’ households and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist assaults in america has known as on the Masters to rethink its resolution to not ban LIV Golf gamers from competing in April.
The group 9/11 Households United, which has beforehand written to brokers of a number of American LIV gamers to precise their outrage at them competing within the Saudi-funded occasions, has pledged to protest at Augusta Nationwide if the coverage will not be reversed.
The PGA Tour has suspended members who’ve competed within the breakaway competitors, whereas the DP World Tour fined gamers Stg 100,000 ($A180,000) and banned them from the Genesis Scottish Open, in a transfer that is still beneath attraction.
Masters chairman Fred Ridley mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday the entry standards for 2023 would stay the identical, with any potential adjustments introduced in April.
Former Masters champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson are among the many high gamers to have joined LIV, whereas others who stay contained in the world’s high 50 – together with Australia’s Cameron Smith – will nonetheless be eligible to compete at Augusta Nationwide.
“Regrettably, current actions have divided males’s skilled golf by diminishing the virtues of the sport and the significant legacies of those that constructed it,” Ridley’s assertion mentioned.
“Though we’re disillusioned in these developments, our focus is to honor the custom of bringing collectively a pre-eminent subject of golfers this coming April.
“Due to this fact, as invites are despatched this week, we’ll invite these eligible beneath our present standards to compete within the 2023 Masters Match.
“As we have now mentioned previously, we take a look at each facet of the Match every year, and any modifications or adjustments to invitation standards for future Tournaments will probably be introduced in April.”
Ridley’s assertion drew an indignant response from 9/11 Households United, who mentioned of their letter to the brokers of Mickelson, Johnson, Reed, Bryson DeChambeau and Kevin Na in June that “Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers had been Saudis “.
“The one purpose the Saudis launched LIV was to attempt to make the world overlook who they’re and what they did, together with their function in 9/11,” the group’s assertion mentioned.
“On behalf of 9/11 Households United, we’re calling on Augusta Nationwide to rethink their open-door coverage to the LIV golfers.
“If they’re welcomed with open arms, we will probably be at their entrance door to protest in April.”
