The Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series has amassed a list of celebrities for its pro-am Thursday, including former President Donald Trump.
Trump is playing in the pro-am with his son, Eric Trump, along with LIV golfers Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Insider reported. Charles Barkley and former NFL star Brian Urlacher will also play at the tournament Thursday, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Donald Trump Reacts To LIV GOlf’s Early Success As The PGA Tour Struggles To Retain Top Talent)
Some interesting names in the LIV pro-am
(via Hailey Ostrom on IG) pic.twitter.com/YIeQiPX49J
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) July 28, 2022
Other big names on the list include Caitlyn Jenner and former NFL star Lawrence Taylor, Insider reported.
Barkley recently opened up about his dealings with LIV Golf on the “Dan Patrick Show.”
“I’m gonna give them a deadline. The deadline is gonna be Thursday. I’m playing at the Pro-Am Thursday … I’m not gonna keep TNT in limbo. I don’t think it’s fair to them. They’ve gotten plenty of play out of me coming to play out there Thursday. I’m not just gonna be no-show pony. Don’t be wasting my time. I’m not gonna waste y’all time. When I leave New Jersey Thursday night, when I leave the golf course, if I don’t have an offer, it’s over,” the former NBA star said, according to the New York Post.
“When I leave New Jersey Thursday night, when I leave the golf course (#LIV Pro-AM), if I don’t have an offer in hand, it’s over.”
-Charles Barkley sets a deadline for an offer from #LIV pic.twitter.com/hfPdZPzGHc
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 25, 2022
A vocal supporter of LIV Golf, Trump has urged PGA golfers to leave the tour for the new league.
“So INTERESTING to see the PGA Tour finally start to treat its players fairly now that the LIV Tour has opened to such a big BANG,” Trump recently said on his social media app, Truth Social, according to Outkick. “The players are now asking, however, why didn’t they raise the purses long ago? Also, what will happen to the TREMENDOUSLY valuable Tax Exempt Status that the PGA Tour now enjoys?”
Players and supporters of the Saudi-backed golf tour have faced blowback recently, with some families of 9/11 victims airing their criticism due to Saudi Arabia’s connection to the terrorist attack, The Washington Post reported. Of the 19 terrorists who attacked on 9/11, 15 were Saudi citizens.
“We simply cannot understand how you could agree to accept money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s golf league to host their tournament at your golf course, and to do so in the shadows of Ground Zero in New Jersey, which lost over 700 residents during the attacks,” a group of 9/11 victim families wrote to Trump, according to The Washington Post.