LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed league that revolutionized the world of professional golf, is coming to North Texas.
Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton will host the LIV Golf team championship Sept. 20-22, the league announced. Wednesday.
Maridoe owner Albert Huddleston, who purchased what had been the former Columbian Club in 2014, has long wanted to host a major golf event. During the pandemic, Maridoe was a golfer’s paradise, hosting events such as the 2019 Trans-Mississippi Amateur, 2020 Southern Amateur, East-West Matches and the 2021 USGA Women’s Four-Ball Amateur Championship.
“The members of Maridoe Golf Club are pleased to host the LIV Golf Team Championship in September,” Huddleston said in a statement Wednesday. “Maridoe is designed to be a fun yet challenging club for members while always ready to provide a great test for elite golfers to entertain golf enthusiasts.”
Related:Why Dallas billionaire Albert Huddleston hosts LIV Golf at his Maridoe Golf Club
Backed by billions from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf has been a flashpoint of controversy since its inception three years ago, to the point of protests by families of 9/11 victims. Critics characterize it as a public relations tool to whitewash Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
The launch of the tour also sparked lawsuits from LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, but in June of last year the parties surprisingly announced that they would join forces and drop all legal battles. However, not much has been achieved as talks are stalled and many details remain to be worked out.
“Our LIV Golf players look forward to playing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with its great golf tradition,” LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman said in a statement. “Texas is legendary for producing and hosting great golfers who set a high bar while competing for championships. “Our LIV Golf Team Championship at Maridoe Golf Club will be a great experience for our players and all the fans in attendance.”
Star golfers who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf include major winners Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnston, Jon Rahm and former SMU golfer Bryson DeChambeau.
“I’m excited to play on this course and compete in front of Texas fans at our closing event and can’t wait to bring the electrifying energy and fierce competition of LIV Golf to Dallas,” DeChambeau said in the release.
LIV Golf recently announced that its individual championship would be held Sept. 13-15 at Bolingbrook Golf Club, a public course about 30 miles southwest of Chicago.
Find more golf coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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