Saudi Arabia’s disruption plan spells trouble for golf’s main tours

The Saudi International may draw glances at present but it is not really a major problem for golf’s ecosystem. It is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Saudi Arabia’s ongoing, ultimate disruption plan.

On Tuesday morning Greg Norman, the frontman for the golf operation of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, promised that the 10-event international series on the Asian Tour was “just the beginning”. Norman will believe this, even if the general tone of his carefully controlled press conference was uninspiring. Plenty of rhetoric, very little substance. “The most compelling indicator for me is the number of calls we have had from corporations and other individuals excited about the opportunity,” Norman said. Agents of footballers are suddenly very interested in Newcastle United, too. Bottomless pits of cash tend to have that effect.

As players flock to Jeddah this week to collect exorbitant appearance fees the rest of us can shake heads at the lunacy of it all. Nobody much cares about the Saudi International but those inside the ropes are also barely interested about the scepticism attached to their involvement. Players keep heads down, avoid awkward questions about the butchering of a journalist or human rights atrocities, bank the dollars and slip home via private jet. We are supposed to accept that “global players” keen to “grow the game” have more in mind than tsunamis hitting their bank accounts.

For existing tours, the Saudi International is a bit of a nuisance. The international series merely could be but the more fascinating part of the picture is Saudi’s desire to make players commit to their platform and ultimately move towards a Super Golf League. Should they do so – barring u-turns or legal challenges –