Letters to Sports: Split decision on Saudi-backed golf tour

Phil Mickelson, second from right, is joined by teammates Ratchanon Chantananuwat, from left, Justin Harding and Chase Koepka during a news conference for the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

(Steven Paston / Associated Press)

June 18, 2022 8:55 AM PT

I wonder if Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau, et al., would play in the LIV Golf League if it was sponsored by North Korea’s Kim Jong Un using a couple of billion dollars taken away from providing food to his starving people. Sadly, I suspect so, given the Saudis’ involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the murder of a journalist inside the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, and an abysmal human rights record did not deter them.

Leonard Venger
Tarzana

Those PGA golfers who defected to LIV golf should be allowed to return to the Tour as caddies.

David Marshall
Santa Monica

If I attend an LIV Golf event as a spectator, will the PGA suspend me from attending their events?

Joe Marando
Burbank

Recently, the PGA suspended a few of their players because the players would not give up their opportunity to make extra money playing golf for a second tour. The reasons given by PGA commissioner Jay Monahan made the PGA look petty and bitter. Basically, Mr. Monahan said the players were greedy and lacked loyalty to the PGA. Mr. Monahan even threw in a vague reference to 9/11 and Saudi Arabia as he tried virtue signaling to justify his suspension of these players. Meanwhile, President Biden does not seem to have a problem with Saudi Arabia as Biden will soon be flying to there to negotiate with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, for oil. So, I guess Mr. Monahan must have secret information about Saudi Arabia that the president of the United States does not possess.

Russell D. Beecher
Canyon Lake

I have one thing to say to Phil Mickelson (and others defecting from the PGA to join the Saudi tour): “Can you say greed?”

He received $200 million just for joining. That’s obscene.

Susan Stann
Temecula

Pro golfers by definition play the game for (maximum) income/profit. Doesn’t seem to me any different than U.S. corporations maximizing their profit potential in Saudi Arabia, except there’s little splash back on executives and shareholders of these companies.

So why is the PGA threatening to ban the LIV golfers? Oh, maybe because the PGA feels their profit potential slipping away.

Michael Rubino
San Pedro

So glad that $200 million in blood money from MBS and the Saudis will allow Phil Mickelson “to do things that are off the golf course I’ve always wanted to do.”

I guess that doesn’t include gambling, since it’s well documented that he’s already done a lot of that. The Saudi cash will certainly enable him to pay off his debts, though, and then some. It just won’t buy his way back to the PGA Tour, and I hope that ban is forever.

Mike McNiff
Costa Mesa

Koufax dilemma

As part of a tiny minority that’s a segment of a small minority, I’m an Orthodox Jew that grew up in Los Angeles. My friends and I had one hero and one only — Sandy Koufax

I know I’m being a bit picky in my criticism of the Dodgers, but giving Sandy Koufax a statue on a Saturday, when every Orthodox Jew worth his salt (or lox and bagel) can’t attend the game or the ceremony kind of hurts. We hoped for a little more consideration for us and for the Yom Kippur Skipper, but we’ll have to settle for the replay.

Allan Kandel
Los Angeles

Dodgers strategy

Speaking to The Times after Sunday’s loss to the Giants, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “Collectively, I thought there was a lot of compete. But again, when you have that situation [with runners on base], you have to find a way to push those guys across.”

He should look in the mirror. How about considering the double steal, hit-and-run, sacrifice bunt, bunt-and-run, suicide squeeze or safety squeeze? The Dodgers rarely employ any of these to try to move up runners. They have been time-tested for decades. The manager is the strategist, not the players.

Lewis Leader
Carmel Valley

I would like to thank Dodgers management for devaluing my DirectTV subscription by airing Dodger games on some third-tier streaming service that I don’t get.

Somebody owes me a refund.

Bob Rufer
Joshua Tree

Abysmal Angels

As of June 16, the Angels are 2-18 over the last 20 games. They have been facing playoff level pitching in most of those games. Simple as that.

David Waldowski
Laguna Woods

Charging ahead

Based on Dylan Hernández’s interview with Brandon Branden Staley, it appears the Chargers coach has learned nothing from his reckless management of the team last season. The playoffs should never have come down to the Raiders game. It did because he threw earlier games away with idiotic fourth-down calls and other gaffes. Then he justifies his actions by saying he wanted to instill a “fearless” attitude in his players. In the end, he sabotaged the team’s opportunities.

Mario Valvo
Ventura

All hail the champs

Let’s examine the Warriors and Lakers rosters. Stephen Curry does not select players on the Golden State Warriors. General manager Bob Myers does. The Lakers, on the other hand, allow LeBron James to select players. The outcome is simple. The Warriors have unlimited championships in their future. The Lakers’ immediate future has zero chance to be competitive.

Gil Moe
Palm Desert

NIL endgame

Why not just bypass all this BS with names, image and likeness and get to the end game, i.e., the schools are serving as the minor leagues for the pros, and pay the players outright for what they really are. This would rid the schools of having to deal with all this nonsense that is muddying the waters. It would also allow us to drop the pretense of “student-athletes.” Just think of the ink media would save by dropping “student-“ from print.

John Snyder
Newbury Park

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: [email protected]