The feud between the two richest forces in golf continues. Days after Tiger Woods echoed Rory McIlroy’s view that Greg Norman needed to be removed from his position as CEO of LIV Golf before the LIV and PGA Tour could coexist peacefully, Norman retaliated. with some scathing comments of his own. In an exclusive interview with Today’s GolferNorman gives a rebuttal to Woods and McIlroy.
“I don’t pay attention to McIlroy and Woods, do I?” Norman said. “They have their agenda for whatever reason. They say whatever they want to say. It doesn’t affect or affect me. I’ll stick with LIV for a long, very, very long time. long.
“When a monopolist’s territory is threatened, they will hold their heads high and do what they do. But in my general opinion, I have always followed the noble path this year. I will continue continue to take the big road because I believe in our business model I believe in our people, I believe in player independence and we’ve seen significant change in its audience.”
Norman’s reaction stemmed from Woods supporting his friend McIlroy leading up to the World Heroes Challenge event he hosts every year in the Bahamas last week.
“I think Greg has to go first,” Woods said. “Then obviously litigation against us and then our lawsuit against them, those people would then have to stay as well. So then we can talk, all We can both talk freely.”
Woods reiterated his feelings later in the press conference.
“Right now, not now, not with their leadership, not with Greg there and his hostility towards the Tour itself,” Woods said of potential peace talks. “I don’t see that happening. As Rory said, and I said the same, I think Greg has to leave and then, hopefully, we can finally pause between the two lawsuits and figure it out. something.”
McIlroy, who said something very similar to Woods on Norman’s need to be overthrown, the possible exception to Norman’s remark about taking the highway. He said a recent story for the Independent’s Paul Kimmage about how he and Norman had an interesting conversation about the hardships of Norman’s career at Augusta National and more or less fixed things. Then it turned sour.
“Then, a few weeks later, he did an interview with washington articles and said I was ‘brainwashed by the PGA Tour’,” McIlroy said. “I was like ‘Because f**k sake!’ We had a very good relationship and he said that about me. I thought, ‘You know what? Now I’m going to make my job a pain in his ass as much as possible.'”
There are rumors in recent weeks that Norman will step down as CEO of LIV. Whether that really happens remains to be seen, but there’s clearly contempt for him from the most important people on the other side.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Norman said. “I don’t care what people say. I’m not going anywhere. I’m very proud of my position and maybe, maybe, it was my leadership that scared them. Maybe… ”
Probably.
