Jack Nicklaus says his allegiance is with the PGA Tour

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Jack Nicklaus said he met with the organizers of a Saudi Arabian-financed golf league but has no interest in being the face of a rival circuit to the PGA Tour.

I did it out of courtesy to them because we are doing a golf course for them. They would have thrown money at me. My loyalties have been to the tour. I grew up on the tour. The PGA Tour is what I helped found. My loyalties is there, and it will stay there.

The Saudi Arabians offered more than $100 million to lead the league that is now being fronted by Greg Norman, according to Jack Nicklaus, who told the Fire Pit Collective website earlier this month. He said he turned down the offer twice.

They called me, and we had a contract on a golf course in Saudi Arabia for over a couple of years. The same group. When they called my son, he organized the meeting and they came into The Bear's Club. We met a few guys. They proposed this to me because we were doing the golf course and John and Paul were there.

The first commissioner of the tour was Joe Dey, who was hired by the players who split from the PGA of America. The man won 73 times on the tour.

The first event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series is scheduled for June 9-11. Six tournaments will be played in the United States. There will be seven regular-season events and a team championship match-play finale.

The field for the London event is yet to be announced by LIV Golf. There will be no cut in the 54-hole tournament.

The London event was denied conflicting-event releases for players who requested to compete. The commissioner of the PGA Tour has threatened players with suspension or a lifetime ban if they play with discipline.