LIV Golf Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan To Play Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Under A False Name

According to a story in the Scotsman on Wednesday, LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan will compete in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour under a fictitious name.

LIV Golf Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan To Play Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Under A False Name

Johann Rupert, the South African billionaire behind the pro-am tournament hosted annually at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, and St. Andrews, invited Al-Rumayyan, the 53-year-old governor of Saudi Arabia’s powerful Public Investment Fund (PIF). Al-Rumayyan, who is listed as Andrew Waterman, will compete with LIV Golf’s Peter Uihlein and in the same group as R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers.

Nothing has been published as to why Al-Rumayyan is playing under a pseudonym this week; he’s previously played in innumerable pro-am events throughout the world using his own identity.

Perhaps the DP World Tour is attempting to shift attention away from the wealthiest individual on the golf field, but one could argue that using a fictitious name has the opposite effect.

During the tournament in Scotland, Al-Rumayyan will be in the same group as R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers.

Last year, Al-Rumayyan, who is also the chairman of Saudi Aramco and the Premier League side Newcastle United, took part in the Alfred Dunhill event. If the framework agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and PIF is accepted and implemented, Al-Rumayyan will serve as chairman of the board of directors of the new for-profit firm founded under the deal.

“It was suggested to me a while ago that I should extend an invitation to (Al-Rumayyan), but I only got confirmation last week to say he would be playing,” said Rupert.

The presence of al-Rumayyan, initially under a pseudonym, was first disclosed by The Scotsman. Johann Rupert, chairman of Richemont, Dunhill’s parent company was quoted in the article as saying, “Sport is supposed to unite people, not divide. We need to get peace.”

Rupert and Al-Rumayyan have a lot in common in that regard. The Saudi was involved in the first framework deal announced in June by the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, and the PIF to form a for-profit business that would allow the parties to share assets. And he is presently playing an important role in the discussions to reach a final deal before the end of the year.

 

 

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