Continuing with the Saudi tradition of sawing up living things as part of doing business, a crew of landscapers preparing the Gallery Club in Marana, Arizona ahead of a March 17-19 LIV Golf event butchered at least two protected Saguaro cactuses last month, the Arizona Republic reports.
The Arizona Department of Agriculture this week opened an investigation into the LIV-contracted landscaping company and the golf course for removing the cactuses without permission. The parties face up to $5,000 in fines for the murder, reportedly done to make way for hospitality tents.
Course General Manager and man whose last name will make everyone sing a few bars of the same horse race song (and we all hate ourselves for it) Jeremy Duda said the club believed the crew were moving the plants, not cutting them down. “That’s what we were told, and they ended up chopping them down without our permission,” Duda said in a sincere belief people would believe him.