Two-time Ladies European Tour winner Carly Booth is facing backlash online after announcing a new sponsor: Golf Saudi. The 26-year-old Scotland native shared the news on her Twitter account on Tuesday.
“I am honoured to represent @Golf_Saudi as they acknowledge that women in sport is of paramount importance,” Booth wrote. “Although culturally they are in a different place to some countries, they are doing everything they can to introduce girls and women into sport and lead healthy lifestyles.”
It didn’t take long for social media users to comment on what seemed like a contradictory relationship.
Crikey Carly I think you might want to head to google and a bit of “women’s rights, Saudi Arabia” before announcing that.
— Georgie Bingham (@georgiebingham) April 24, 2019
“culturally in a different place” as in women just got the right to drive, are able to finally attend sporting events if they are seated separately from men, and where death penalty is executed against women rights activists ..
Cool, Carly https://t.co/hfkNGfQGxA
— Anya Alvarez (@anya__alvarez) April 24, 2019
Disgusting support for such a murderous regime. Shameful.
— Johnny Heavey (@JohnnyH1857) April 24, 2019
Hundreds of replies like those above populated the post’s comment section until it was abruptly deleted on Wednesday afternoon.
GOLF.com’s efforts to reach Booth for further comment have gone unanswered thus far. The young golfer is currently 15th on the Ladies European Tour order of merit. She is ranked 351st in the world, and her other sponsors include Volvik, Discovery Land Company and Hilton.
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