The LIV Golf, PGA Tour merger shows why sports is so good for image washing

Sometimes sports isn't just about sports.

For decades, athletic events have been used to launder the images and reputations in a tactic called "sportswashing." Whether embraced by a company or a nation with a regressive policies, sportswashing has particular allure, experts say, because it works.

That's what critics say is happening with the proposed merger between the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and PGA Tour.

The deal ends a bitter war with PGA Tour, turns LIV Golf into a major force in