Former Spartan joins Saudi-backed golf league

An ascending local golfer will tee off in London this week for the new controversial LIV Golf league's debut event.

Driving the news: James Piot, a Michigan State grad who recently competed at the Masters, joins a peculiar list of golf stars and grinders who risked domestic professional careers on the PGA Tour by playing in the Saudi Arabia-backed professional golf league.

• These golfers are facing a wave of criticism for helping Saudi Arabia clean up its record of human-rights abuses, a concept known as "sportswashing."
• Some received huge paydays for joining the league. Superstar Dustin Johnson reportedly got $125 million.

What they're saying: Piot told the Detroit News the criticism is "a little disheartening."

• "For me, it's just about the journey of playing golf. I understand there's a lot of controversy. But for me, it's an exciting opportunity, as a 23-year-old, to be able to travel the world and make money doing it."