Greg Norman says he wants to talk to Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods to discuss how star golfers have benefited from LIV Golf and the upheaval caused by the Saudi-backed tour in the sport.
Norman served as commissioner and CEO of LIV Golf when it launched in 2021 before being replaced earlier this month by Scott O’Neil. McIlroy said Norman’s departure from the role was “probably a good move,” but Norman argued he would like to move on from his feud with McIlroy and Woods.
“I’d like to sit down and talk to them about it, there’s no question about it,” Norman told Australian Golf Digest in an interview published on Tuesday. “Because I’m not a judgmental person and you learn facts and truth only when you hear the other side of you.
“But, yeah, I’d like to sit down with them? Sure, sure. And you know what? I’d win the debate.”
LIV Golf disrupted the golf world when it first launched, luring top players away from the PGA Tour with the promise of big paydays and causing a nasty split in the sport — highlighted by the feud between Norman and McIlroy.
Norman called McIlroy “brainwashed by the PGA Tour” in 2022, and McIlroy accused Norman of a “civil war” in golf, saying later that year that the two-time Open champion should “walk off stage left” to let “the seniors” fix the split. in sports.
Norman, however, insisted that LIV Golf ultimately helped McIlroy and Woods, specifically citing the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program (PIP), which rewards players who engage with sponsors and fans.
“I would like them to recognize the fact that — like Tiger with his PIP money — it only comes because of LIV, right?” Norman told Australian Golf Digest. “So Tiger benefited from that. Rory really benefited from that.”
Norman admitted that, in part because of bad blood with McIlroy and Woods, he hasn’t watched the opening events of the recently launched TGL.
“I haven’t watched at all because there are a few players who have spoken badly about me,” said Norman. “So I’m not going to say anything good or bad about it. All I can say is: The more exposure golf gets in different ways, the better.”
Norman, who turns 70 next month, said he plans to “remain involved with LIV in some way,” although he is looking forward to scaling back.
O’Neil, who was announced as the new CEO of LIV Golf last week, praised Norman as “instrumental” in the success of the new venture. Norman echoes those sentiments when reflecting on his time leading LIV.
“When I look back over my last three and a half years — from my last 20 years — oh my gosh,” Norman said. “I definitely changed the game of golf more than people realize.”
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