Anna Nordqvist cuts ties with Saudi oil company after "hatred and mean comments"

Decorated women's golfer Anna Nordqvist has cut ties with Saudi oil company Aramco after being bombarded with "hatred and mean comments".

Ben Smith

10 Feb 2023

Anna Nordqvist cuts ties with Saudi oil company after "hatred and mean comments" — Anna Nordqvist cuts ties with Saudi oil company after "hatred and mean…

Decorated Swedish golfer Anna Nordqvist has ended her ties with Saudi oil company Aramco after being bombarded with "hatred and mean comments".

The 35-year-old - who has won nine LPGA Tour titles, five Ladies European Tour titles, three majors and boasts an overall Solheim Cup record of 14-10-3 - has confirmed to the TT news agency her ambassadorship with Aramco is over.

Nordqvist told the news agency the deal didn't really turn out the way she thought, adding:

"I need to think about myself and I haven't felt good about this. I wasn't really prepared to get such an incredible amount of hatred and mean comments from people who don't even know me."

Aramco is primarily owned by the Saudi Arabian state.

The Saudis have invested billions in international sporting events in recent years.

One of their biggest investments, of course, is the LIV Golf League. LIV will kick off their second season later this month in Mexico.

LIV Golf launched in June 2022 and ripped apart men's golf. A number of high-profile players either resigned or were banned by the PGA Tour.

Anna Nordqvist cuts ties with Saudi oil company after

LIV Golf spent more than $700m to secure the services of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

They all signed nine-figure joining fees.

Other perks of the league include dizzying $25m prize purses and the use of private jets.

Critics have accused the kingdom of attempting to soften their global reputation through in a practice known as sportswashing.

Human rights campaigners say the state using sport to distract from the kingdom's human rights record, its alleged ties to 9/11, repression of women's and LGBTQ+ rights and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Amnesty International reportedly welcomed Nordqvist's decision, describing it as "very wise".

Nordqvist continued:

"It was never about money for me, I wanted to do something for ladies' golf and especially for the European Tour."

The Swede said she would still be competing at the $5m PIF Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens over February 16-19.

She added:

"I need to get in four tournaments on the European Tour before August because my big goal is to play in the Solheim Cup.

"I feel it's important to play all over the world, to influence younger generations to dream big."

Another Swedish golfer, Henrik Stenson, has also faced criticism.

Stenson was named as the Ryder Cup Europe captain but was sacked after he joined LIV Golf last summer.

In September, the Swedish Golf Federation cut ties with the former Open champion.

The federation said Stenson could "no longer act as a role model for Swedish junior golfers" after his reported $40m switch to LIV.

Next page: Nine players who changed their mind about LIV Golf