Three years ago Meghan MacLaren, a brave and rare woman, resisted playing in the first ever women’s professional golf tournament in Saudi Arabia. She claimed that it was against her morality to compete in the Kingdom. Concerns that the country was “sportswashing its human rights record” led to the 28-year old Englishwoman withdrawing.
MacLaren’s position has changed in response to the increasing money flowing into women’s golf from Saudi Arabia.
The three-time winner of the Ladies European Tour is among 120 players who will be playing in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International. It features a $5million purse, the largest prize fund in women’s golf other than the majors and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship Championship.
Given that almost a dozen events in the LET schedule featured purses below 300,000.00 euros last year, a $5 million non-major purse offers a life-changing opportunity to many in the field. It features 60 Ladies European Tour players and 50 of the top 300 Rolex Rankings players. There are also 10 invites from sponsors.
$750,000 will be awarded to the winner of Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City.
MacLaren said, “At some point you have to reconcile.” “This is my competitive nature, my profession versus how I want to live life. What are my values?
“You can only speak to a point. But, I also know that the louder my voice is, the better and more well-known I am as a golfer, the better I can use it.”
As it stands now, LET players would be unable to compete in events backed the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund. This would severely limit their ability to make a living while still being able to keep their cards on that tour.
This week’s Saudi Ladies International features the same amount of money as the men earlier in the month in Saudi. There are also five stops in the LET’s Aramco Team Series. The total prize money for the six Saudi-backed events in the LET is $10,000,000
Saudi money accounts for more than 40% of the remaining prize money with two majors accounting at $13.8 million.
MacLaren stated, “At the end the day money is power.” “We live in a world that accepts that truth. Your choice of how you use the money will reflect your character.
No. 1 Lydia Ko was named the 2021 Aramco Saudi Ladies International Champion (courtesy Aramco).
15 of the top 30 world players will compete in the Saudi Ladies International field, including No. 1 Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson won the Aramco event in New York last fall. Thompson will not be participating in the LPGA events held in Thailand and Singapore in the next two weeks.
Golf Saudi sponsored Anna Nordqvist, a three-time major winner. According to the Swedish news agency TT, she has ended her sponsorship agreement with the Saudis. Nordqvist wore an Aramco Team Series cap when she won 2021 AIG Women’s British Open in Carnoustie. She also had the Golf Saudi logo on the sleeves.
However, her decision to end the relationship was based on the backlash she received, rather than any moral conflict.
Nordqvist said in an interview to TT that it didn’t turn out as I expected.
She said that she needed to be more self-aware and added: “I didn’t expect to receive such an overwhelming amount of hate and mean comments from people who don’t know me.”
Nordqvist plans to continue competing in the week’s event, Saudi Arabia, and other LET events. She cites the need to participate in four LET events prior to August in order to be eligible to the Solheim Cup.
She continued, “It wasn’t about money for me.” “I wanted to do something for ladies golf, especially the European Tour.”
Nordqvist issued a follow-up statement Monday to those comments, noting that Aramco was fully supportive of her decision.
On Instagram, she stated that “I will always fight to support women’s golf.” “This decision does not change my respect for the Aramco Team Series’s work for women’s golf.”
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After winning the 2021 AIG Women’s British Open at Carnoustie, Anna Nordqvist from Sweden poses with her trophy. Photo by Ian Rutherford/PA Wire
MacLaren is one of the most intelligent players in the game. She has been “hyperaware” of the moral complications that come with playing for Saudi money from the beginning.
She said that “for some people”, it’s much easier to not ask these questions in the first instance.
MacLaren took a look at other sports’ responses to similar problems and found that her favourite British football team is still supported, even though they have been purchased by the Saudis.
She said that there are red lines everywhere and conflicts of interest everywhere. Later she added that every decision I make feels like it has many complications. But not everyone thinks that way.
Alex Morgan, a forward for the U.S. women’s soccer team, told reporters at SheBelieves Cup she thought it was “bizarre” that FIFA was considering sponsoring the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
She said that she found it strange that FIFA had sought to sponsor the Women’s World Cup in Saudi Arabia, when Alex Morgan would not be supported or accepted in that country. It’s just not understandable to me.
Taylor Kornieck, Taylor’s teammate, said that U.S. Soccer values partnering with people who share our values.
Saudi Arabia’s laws have been updated to allow women to drive a car and travel abroad in recent years. The male guardian system in Saudi Arabia is still in effect and requires permission from a male relative to marry, divorce, or leave prison.
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An instructor and a student (R) practice driving at the Jeddah Advanced Driving School, King Abdulaziz University. This was the day after women were allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. It took place in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images).
Omaima Al Najjar is a Saudi activist who is now a surgeon in Ireland. She was a prominent blogger and took part in the right to drive campaign in Saudi Arabia. However, she fled because the risks were too high. It is still too dangerous for her now to return.
Al Najjar, a Golfweek representative, said last year that it was important to remind women participating in the tour “that the Saudi women activists responsible for making those changes are still being tried, being prosecuted and banned from activism and from traveling.”
Al Najjar asks players to speak out about not only the activists but also the conditions of many migrant worker in Saudi Arabia. Al Najjar stated that women from developing countries come to the kingdom to work as maids. They are often made to work seven days per week without a set schedule and have their passports confiscated.
She said that Saudi-born women have fled the country despite recent reforms, as there are no safe homes in the Kingdom for domestic violence victims.
Al Najjar stated that “there’s a problem of killing women in Saudi” and “a lot of husbands murder their wives or fathers kill daughters, but the Saudi authorities don’t do much about it.”
These are the issues Al Najjar hopes LPGA and LET players in Saudi Arabia will voice their disapproval, even if it means financial loss.
Female golfers competing for Saudi money have received less criticism and attention than male players who have joined LIV. MacLaren stated that the truth to this disparity is that people aren’t as concerned. She said that women’s golf’s profile is much lower than men’s, and she pointed out that not 15 journalists are present at press conferences asking difficult questions.
She stated that she doesn’t believe the coverage of golf is equal and the criticism is not at the same level.
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Meghan MacLaren, England, tees off at the 18th hole on Day Three of ISPS Handa World Invitational presented AVIV Clinics Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Clubs, August 13, 2022 in Co Antrim. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images).
MacLaren is a prolific blogger and eloquent speaker. She recently shared her decision to compete for Saudi Arabia via Twitter and was taken aback by the positive response from the public.
She wrote that “I will always believe that it is better not to look away than to look forward.” However, the world is stronger than individuals with limited power and more influence. This is my best way to increase my platform voice and my financial status.
“Whatever I choose to do with my platform, voice, and financial status will hopefully make the world a better place over time… that will always remain my goal.”
By: Beth Ann Nichols
Title: Vocal sportswashing critic Meghan MacLaren explains why she's playing in Saudi Arabia, where the purse is one of the highest in women's golf
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/02/14/golf-saudi-sportswashing-meghan-maclaren-let-lpga/
Published Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2023 19:00:42 +0000
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