PGA Tour-LIV

Greg Norman wasn’t going to leave his LIV Golf post without one final jab at Tiger and Rory

January 21, 2025
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David Cannon

During his time as LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman never missed an opportunity to promote the fledging golf league, often with a bombastic tone that only seemed to fuel the tension the Saudi-backed endeavor created while disrupting the world of men’s professional golf. Is it any surprise, then, that in stepping away from that role, the World Golf Hall of Famer would provide one last jab at the establishment on the way out?

Norman, who turns 70 next month, sat for an exit interview of sorts with Australian Golf Digest published Tuesday, during which he took credit for what he believes has been LIV’s successful integration into golf’s ecosystem.

“When I look back on my past 3½ years … from my past 20 years,” Norman said, “oh my gosh, I really have changed the game of golf more than what people realize.”

There is some truth in those words, as even one of Norman’s more public adversaries in the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf conflict acknowledged recently.

“Greg took a lot of flak the first couple of years,” Rory McIlroy said last week after Norman was officially replaced by Scott O’Neil as LIV’s CEO. “He is probably one of the only guys in golf who could have taken on that role. He got it off the ground, and you have to commend him for that. Now it’s time for someone with a bit more experience to take over.”

Norman, however, wasn’t ready to forgive and forget when it comes to McIlroy or Tiger Woods.

“I would love to sit down and talk to them about it, no question about it,” Norman said. “Because I’m not a judgmental person and you only learn the fact and truth when you hear the other side of it. But, yes, would I like to sit down with them? Sure, absolutely. And you know what? I’d win the debate.”

The way Norman sees it, the formation of LIV resulted in an influx of money for PGA Tour players in the form of increased purses and other revenue opportunities. Norman brought up the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program, saying that its creation—and the millions it paid various high-profile PGA Tour pros—would not have happened without LIV Golf’s inception, although it should be noted the PIP was launched before LIV.

“I would love them to recognize the fat that … like Tiger with his PIP money … that only came because of LIV, right?” Norman said. “So Tiger benefitted from that. Rory’s definitely benefitted from that.”

Norman also offered one other swipe at Tiger and Rory in the Australian Golf Digest interview when the pair’s newly launched TGL simulator golf league. Responding to whether he’s caught the broadcast of the two opening events, Norman said: “I haven’t watched a bit of it because there’s a couple of players who’ve been very vocal against me. So I’m not going to say anything positive or negative about it. All I can say is, the more golf gets exposure in different ways, the better off it is.”