My golfing weekend

The Genesis at the Riviera  Course Los Angeles was won by the young Chilean Joaquin Niemann by two strokes from Collin Morikawa.

Niemann, like the Mexican Abraham Ancer, reflects the youthful upsurge in Central and South American golf.

He impressively hung onto his lead for 4 days.

I was on Victor Hovland who finished fourth.

Novland, though Norwegian and on the European Ryder Cup team , represents the new US PGA kids on the block like Morikawa.

One must also include Max Homa, Mavetick MacNealy and Will Zalatoris.

These kids come from the conveyor belt of US college golf and I cannot see any equivalents on the European tour.

The Riviera club is long associated with the Hollywood film star golfing fraternity.

There is Bogey’s tree.

Walt Disney, Bing Crosby and Cary Grant were all members and enthusiasts.

National Velvet was filmed there, as was the Ben Hogan Story starring Glenn Ford.

Nowadays Mark Wahlberg and Adam Sandler are keen golfers and members.

However the big story is elsewhere and that is the new golf League bankrolled by the Saudis.

So far it has only attracted  golfers in their 40s awaiting the Senior Tour like Ian Poulter.

Henrik Stenson is interested but significantly golf’s numbers 1 and 2 – Jon Rahm and Morikawa – are not.

Nor is Rory McIlroy who heads up the players union the Golf Advisory Council.

On Tuesday the PGA meet to discuss banning participants.

Phil Michelson called the Saudis “scary motherfuckers” so the new league promoted by Greg Norman has not got off to the best of starts.

I can see Lee Westwood joining it.  Dustin Johnson and  the contrarian  Bryson DeChambeau have turned the lucre down.

None of them need the money.

Tiger Woods turned down a yacht once by way of Saudi appearance money so I can’t see him signing up.

None of those interested seem that concerned by Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights record.