LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman confirmed that the Saudi-backed league never made an offer to Rory McIlroy but said that he’s willing to engage in future talks with McIlroy or any other interested player.
Last week at the RBC Heritage, McIlroy dismissed unsubstantiated reports that he was close to signing a mega-deal with LIV that would pay him upward of $850 million. He said that he has never received an offer from LIV – and never contemplated switching tours – and stated that he would finish out his career on the PGA Tour.
“LIV never put an offer to him,” Norman told reporters Wednesday ahead of LIV Adelaide in Australia. “We didn’t need to make a comment about this. This is just typical white noise that gets out there in the industry.
“If Rory was willing to sit down and have a conversation with us, would we be happy to sit down with him? One-hundred percent. No different than any other player who would be interested in coming on and playing with us. 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.”
McIlroy was one of the most outspoken critics of LIV but has softened his stance following last June’s framework agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which is LIV’s financial backer. Now, McIlroy is reportedly on the verge of rejoining the Tour policy board, which could be seen as another step toward reaching a final agreement with the Saudis, given McIlroy’s public support for PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s long-term vision for the sport.
Norman said that, even as the leader of LIV, he didn’t have any insight into the ongoing negotiation between the two sides.
“We at LIV are totally separate to that part of the negotiation,” he said. “We at LIV are a standalone company being invested by the same investor interested in the game of golf. Investment dollars are flowing into the game of golf for the right reasons, not the wrong reasons. Our investor wanted to invest into LIV because he loved the opportunity of the franchise model, what he could do with it and how we can build it out on a global platform.
“Me specifically, I don’t know what’s going on over there. I really don’t want to know what’s going on over there, because we are so fixated on growing and developing and building out what LIV is today and looking and doing our schedule for 2025 and going into 2026. Our responsibility is to look after our people, our players, and where we want to go. I don’t have an answer.”
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