Rory McIlroy calls LIV boss Greg Norman to go Rory McIlroy says golf’s civil war won’t end until Greg Norman leaves his seat on the LIV circuit and lets a ‘grown-up’ into the room.
While McIlroy believes the time has come for a dialogue between the new and old factions of his sport, in his latest fiery contribution to the saga, he admitted he could not foresee a working coexistence as long as the Australian remained at the LIV helm.
His comments come as rumors abound that Norman
The CEO of the breakaway Saudi-backed tour could soon be recast, with the circuit expanding rapidly in its first season thanks to his particular kind of disruption.
LIV’s success in breaking down the gates to the golf landscape should not be underestimated, which was largely enforced by Norman’s approach to lighting the fire.
But as they seek legitimacy through the courts, with awarding world ranking points as one of the key goals, it seems imperative that there be some sort of peace between LIV and its rivals, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Ahead of the Tour Championship in Dubai, McIlroy said: “I think a couple of things have to happen.
So there are obviously two lawsuits going on right now
The PGA TOUR versus LIV and one coming up with the DP World Tour in February. Nothing will happen if these two things continue to happen.
“And then I think whatever happens with those two things, there’s a couple of things I’d like to see on the LIV side that need to happen. I think Greg has to go. I think he needs to leave stage left.
He pushed through, but I think now is a good time to say, “Look, you got this thing off the ground, but nobody’s going to talk unless there’s an adult in the room who can try to fix it. fences”.
“If those two things happen, then things can happen. But right now it’s a stalemate because there’s no other way. Maybe something will happen, who knows?
“One is a very different product from the other, and they’re just going to keep going,
whatever happens, and whether it’s in the hands of a court or a judge or something else happens in the process, nobody really knows. Right now it seems to be a bit of a stalemate.’
Neither Norman nor his PGA Tour counterpart Jay Monahan has let up much in the animosity since the start of LIV earlier this year. Norman even took the bold step this week of suggesting McIlroy and Tiger Woods ‘thank’ LIV for the shake-up, which in turn prompted increased prize money on the PGA Tour.
A puzzled McIlroy responded on Tuesday: “As with everything Greg says and that comment, it depends on what you’re looking for in golf. Am I thankful that this has provided more opportunities for top players to earn more? Yes.
“But will it ultimately make me happier at the end of my career? No. There are a lot of things that make people play golf and do their jobs, and it’s not just about the money. It’s about other things. It’s about fulfillment. It’s about trying to get the best out of yourself. It’s about the satisfaction of showing up and trying to play to your potential.
“You know, those are the things that have definitely made me enjoy playing golf the most. So some people they may play for other reasons. But for me, I’m happiest when I’m playing my best and it doesn’t matter how much I earn. Sports achievements are the things that push me forward.”
He added: ‘I’m very grateful for everyone in golf and I’ve said it a million times: Tiger is the reason we play as much as we do. Tiger is the reason our game is where it is.
“The Tiger generation and the generation that will come after Tiger have all benefited from him and his accomplishments and what he has done for the game of golf. I don’t think Tiger should be grateful to anyone for anything. I think everyone else in the game should be grateful.
McIlroy this week is trying to become only the second player to win the European Tour Championship and the PGA Tour in the same season. He also holds a narrow lead over New Zealand’s Ryan Fox in the order of merit.