Report: Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen among athletes listed in Panama Papers

The latest crop of athletes connected to the Panama Papers that detail efforts by individuals worldwide to hide assets in offshore shell accounts included golfers who have six major titles among them.

The names of golfers Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen and Ian Woosnam each appear in documents leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, according to The Irish Times. Mossack Fonseca is one of the world’s largest firms that set up tough-to-trace offshore accounts, something the newspaper reported the firm did at the direction of International Management Group (IMG), a leading agency that represents pro athletes.

The Irish Times did not allege any wrongdoing on behalf of the athletes. The release of the Panama Papers has led to the resignation of the prime minister of Iceland among other government officials worldwide and sparked scores of investigations, including a probe by U.S. federal authorities announced last month.

The files leaked from Mossack Fonseca that pertain to the three golfers --- along with tennis player Thomas Enqvist --- pertain to a Panamanian company called Marksmen Guaranteed Fund V SA. Mossack Fonseca acted as the registered agent for the company, according to The Irish Times.

Harrington, Woosnam, Goosen and Enqvist attended the 2000 annual meeting by proxy, according to the report. Marksmen Guaranteed Fund V SA. Mossack was incorporated in 1998 and dissolved in 2005.

Harrington won the British Open in 2007 and 2008 and also the PGA Championship in 2008. Goosen captured the U.S. Open in 2001 and 2004, and Woosnam was the winner of the Masters in 1991.

A message left by Paste BN Sports with IMG was not immediately returned.