Why deny golfers the right to earn a living?

In 2000, the founding patron of the Laureus Sports, Nelson Mandela, had this to say about the transcendent impact of sport: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair. Sport speaks to people in a language they can understand.”

In the South African context, sport was a bitterly contested terrain, because of apartheid … and the international sports boycott against the country was one of the factors in the eventual transformation of our country to democracy.

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But sport in the 21st century has become a wealthy entertainment business, with sportsmen and women earning the money most mere mortals can only dream of.

And, the argument goes, if you’ve got the talent, why not exploit it? Why not live the good life for you and your family? Why should your talent inspire, unite or even give hope to oppressed? It’s sport, not politics, after all.

Many of those arguments were around in the apartheid era as “rebel” sports teams broke the United Nations sport embargo for their pieces of silver.

Today, it seems that money has been having a serious conversation with golf, after the PGA Tour and DP Tour merged with the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf.

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Now that golf has become a hypermarket, any concerns about the Saudi human rights record were quickly smacked into the rough.

Golf superstar Padraig Harrington summed it up: “Definitely in the financial interest of both sides. Definitely in the financial interest of the players.”

Besides, Formula One has already shown it can turn a blind eye to human rights when money is on the table. However, it’s also a basic human right to earn a living… why should golfers be denied that?