LIV Golf: Tiger Woods offered up to $800m to join sport's new series claims CEO Greg Norman
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Updated 02/08/2022 at 11:13 GMT
Tiger Woods was offered between $700-800 million to join LIV Golf, that is according to CEO Greg Norman. LIV Golf has polarised the sport with several players joining the breakaway tour - high-profile names including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have joined the Saudi Arabia-backed series. Woods has hit out at the players who have joined the tour.
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CEO of LIV Golf Greg Norman claims Tiger Woods was offered $700-800 million to join the sport's new series.
LIV Golf has fractured golf, with a swathe of players jumping ship from the PGA Tour on the back of massive contract offers.
Several high-profile names including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have joined the Saudi Arabia-backed series.
Michelson was reportedly paid $200m to turn up with former world No. 1 Norman fronting the new series.
"That number was out there before I became CEO," Norman said of the $700-800 million figure reportedly presented to Woods.
"Look, Tiger is a needle-mover, right? So, of course you've got to look at the best of the best. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. That number is somewhere in that neighbourhood."
Woods criticises LIV Golf
Those playing in LIV Golf are not allowed to play in the PGA Tour amid an ongoing feud between the sport’s organisations.
Woods hit out at the players who have joined the breakaway series at the 150th Open Championship in St Andrews last month.
"The players who have chosen to go to LIV and to play there, I disagree with it,” said Woods. “I think that what they've done is they've turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.
"You're just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes. They're playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different.
"I just don't see how that move is positive in the long term for a lot of these players, especially if the LIV organisation doesn't get world-ranking points and the major championships change their criteria for entering the events."
Veteran Mark Hubbard slammed LIV Golf’s players for not admitting they joined simply for financial reasons.
“This facade of, 'oh, we’re growing the game, and we’re doing all this stuff',” Hubbard told Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz of golf.com. “Even the interviews from the players is complete bulls**t in my opinion.
“‘Oh, we want to spend more time...’ Well, if that’s the case, then why are you still trying to play the PGA Tour? Because you’re going to play 14, 15 events with them, then you want to play another 10? Now you’re playing the same exact amount.
“Just say you went over there for the money. I can’t blame anybody for going somewhere for $125 million.”
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