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Rory McIlroy stays hopeful that the fractured state of golf between established excursions and Saudi-funded LIV Golf can heal — however mentioned that most likely wouldn’t occur till two lawsuits are determined and Greg Norman is not concerned in LIV Golf.
Key factors:
- LIV Golf is the lead plaintiff in an antitrust lawsuit towards the PGA Tour, with a trial date scheduled for January 2024
- Greg Norman is the CEO of LIV Golf and has been key to signing gamers away from the PGA Tour
- Norman mentioned having one other golf competitors has helped golfers on the PGA Tour rating bigger pay packets
“I feel Greg must go. I feel he simply must exit stage left,” McIlroy mentioned on the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
“He is made his mark, however I feel now’s the correct time to kind of say, ‘Look, you have received this factor off the bottom, however no-one goes to speak except there’s an grownup within the room that may truly attempt to mend fences.’
“However proper now, it is a stalemate as a result of there cannot be some other manner.”
Studies final week recommended Norman could be shifting away from his position as commissioner and CEO and that LIV Golf was pursuing Mark King, who previously ran TaylorMade and now’s CEO of Taco Bell.
Majed Al Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation, denied the report.
LIV Golf is now the lead plaintiff in an antitrust lawsuit towards the PGA Tour, with a trial date scheduled for January 2024 if it goes that far. Courts in the UK are anticipated to rule in February whether or not the European tour can punish gamers for becoming a member of LIV Golf.
It was the most recent barb McIlroy has tossed at Norman, relationship to McIlroy gleefully mentioning in his TV interview in June after he received the Canadian Open that he had extra profession PGA Tour wins than Norman.
What may need prompted the most recent comment was Norman’s interview in Australia on Monday, throughout which it was introduced that LIV Golf could be enjoying in Adelaide subsequent April.
Norman was speaking concerning the worth competitors brings to enterprise and sport when he talked about how PGA Tour gamers are benefiting from LIV Golf, primarily via a $US100 million ($148 million) Participant Influence Program that has doubled in dimension in response to the LIV menace.
The PGA Tour additionally has 12 elevated occasions beginning subsequent yr that common $US20 million ($29.6 million) in prize cash.
“Each PGA Tour participant ought to be thanking LIV, together with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, as a result of the PIP program would not have been elevated with out LIV,” Norman mentioned.
“Prize cash would not have been elevated with out LIV, all these different issues which were launched by the PGA Tour due to LIV. Competitors is one of the best factor in life, in enterprise and in sport. LIV is just not going to go anyplace.”
However McIlroy would beg to vary.
“I’ve mentioned this one million occasions: Tiger is the explanation that we’re enjoying for as a lot as we’re enjoying for,” McIlroy mentioned.
“Tiger is the explanation that stature of our sport is the place it’s. The era of Tiger and the era coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he is achieved for the sport of golf.
“I do not assume Tiger ought to be grateful to anybody for something. I feel everybody else within the sport ought to be grateful.”
AP
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