Graeme McDowell says 'golf is a force for good' as he defends playing in Saudi backed LIV Tour

Graeme McDowell has defended his participation in the new golf tournament funded by Saudi Arabia.

Critics have accused the LIV Tour as being a used to “sportwash” the country’s human rights record.

The first tournament of the new tour starts on Thursday at the Centurion Club just outside of London.

McDowell says he wants to use playing golf as a force for good, but did acknowledge the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

“This has been incredibly polarising," the Portrush golfer said at a pre-event press conference.

"I think we all agree the Khashoggi situation was reprehensible, no one is going to argue that fact."

“But we’re golfers, and speaking personally I feel golf is a force for good in the world.

"I try to be a good role model to kids, I know what the game of golf has taught me and I love using the game of golf as something to help grow around the world. It’s pretty much what we’ve done for the last 20 years, be a role model for kids, try to use this game as a force of good.

“We’re not politicians, we’re professional golfers and if Saudi Arabia want to use the game of golf to get to where they want to be and they have the resources to accelerate that experience, I think we’re proud to help them on that journey.”

McDowell was then asked how that “journey” helped women, migrant groups, LGBTQ individuals and the families of the 81 men who were executed in March.

“I wish I had the ability to have that conversation with you. I think as golfers if we tried to cure geopolitical situations in every country we played golf in we wouldn’t play a lot of golf,” he replied.

“That’s a really hard question to answer, we’re just here to focus on the golf and what it does globally for the role models that these guys are and that we are."

Responding to McDowell’s press conference, Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland Programme Director of Amnesty International, said: “Questions about Saudi Arabia’s atrocious human rights record - from Khashoggi’s murder, to the oppression of women and LGBTI+ people, the torture and mass execution of anti-government protesters, or the bombing of civilians in Yemen - are not going to be sportswashed away by this tournament.

“You don’t have to be a politician or a human rights campaigner to make your voice heard on behalf of the oppressed.

“People have a right to expect more from high-profile sporting figures and we’re urging all golfers at the LIV Golf Invitational to speak out about human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.”