The LIV Invitational Series, a controversial new golf tournament backed with money from Saudi Arabia, is causing a major rift in the world of golf.

The series website claims it is an opportunity to reinvigorate golf, but opponents and human rights advocates say Saudi Arabia, whose government was found to be responsible for the murder of a Washington Post journalist and which has a history of human rights violations , is using golf to clean up its reputation a strategy known as sportswashing.

Despite the controversy, the LIV Invitational has already lured dozens of professional golfers by promising lucrative price purses and undisclosed sign-on payouts .

But participating in the series also means golfers have to choose sides. The prestigious PGA Tour suspended any golfers participating in LIV events from PGA events.