A golf course in New York City managed by former President Donald Trump's business will host a women's golf tournament backed by Saudi Arabia in the fall, per the Associated Press.
Why it matters: Trump previously faced criticism for hosting a Saudi-backed LIV Golf event at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, back in July.
The Saudi-backed LIV Golf has hired a lobbying firm to advance its interests in D.C., lobbying registration filings show.
Why it matters: LIV remains highly controversial, partly due to conflicts with the PGA Tour and partly due to its source of funding — the Saudi Arabian government. Critics have alleged the country is using golf to boost its global image.
Novak Djokovic announced Thursday he will not compete at the U.S. Open because he has not received the COVID-19 vaccine and can't travel to the U.S. for the event.
The big picture: Unvaccinated athletes still face potential hurdles to competing in sporting events and leagues around the world, even as public health agencies have eased restrictions for the general public.
PGA Tour leaders delivered a strong message to LIV Golf ahead of the Tour Championship, which teed off Thursday: we're not backing down.
State of play: On the heels of last week's players-only meeting led by Tiger Woods, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Wednesday announced some major changes coming to the Tour as part of a broader strategy to avoid losing more golfers to LIV.
A federal jury awarded $16 million in damages to Vanessa Bryant over emotional distress caused unauthorized photos taken at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gigi, and seven others.
Driving the news: Jurors returned a unanimous verdict agreeing with Bryant and her co-plaintiff, Christopher Chester, that the photos of their spouses and children's bodies taken and circulated by deputies and firefighters invaded the privacy of the victims' families, per multiple reports.
