Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Norman shed some light on the McIlroy to LIV Golf rumors ahead of Adelaide tournament in Australia.
LIV Golf is Down Under in Australia for its Adelaide event. The Saudi-backed league is back for its first tournament since 13 of its players took on Augusta National in The Masters.
Following the Masters, one major rumor surrounded LIV Golf and Rory McIlroy. It was alleged that he received an $850 million offer to join the PGA Tour’s rival league. McIlroy squashed the gossip and clearly stated he would be on the PGA Tour until the end of his career.
Ahead of LIV Golf Adelaide, CEO Greg Norman delved into the McIlroy situation and offered his side of the story.
“There wasn’t one comment about LIV. LIV never put an offer to him,” Norman said calling the rumors “typical white noise.”
While Norman claimed LIV never sent an offer to the four-time major winner, The Shark refused to say they would never propose one.
“If Rory was willing to sit down and have a conversation with us, would we be happy to sit down with him? 100 percent, no different than any other player who would be interested in coming on and playing with us,” he said. “It’s understanding the facts about what LIV represents and what LIV can deliver on a global basis. It’s up to you to determine it.”
Norman then shifted the conversation to point out some alleged misconceptions. He claimed to have sat down with a “top, top PGA Tour player” in his home to walk through the LIV Golf process.
“He said, ‘Well, that’s not what we’re told in the locker room,’” Norman explained. “He made the decision — he told me two days later and said, ‘I’ve decided to stay where I’m at.’ I said, Happy days. You made a decision on fact. If you’re happier over here, fine, stay there. Your door is always open; if you want to come back and have a conversation with us, happy to do that.”
Whether or not the world will ever know what player was hinted at will be up to the player or Norman to release that information.
Regardless, the McIlroy to LIV Golf rumor appears to have been completely fabricated.
McIlroy once again pledged his loyalty to the PGA Tour. News then surfaced that he could find himself back on the PGA Tour Policy Board. The Northern Irishman will have to be voted back in, but McIlroy’s return to a leadership role appears evident.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
