Rory McIlroy says Greg Norman must quit as LIV Tour chief to repair rift in golf with PGA and DP World Tours
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Updated 15/11/2022 at 15:01 GMT
Greg Norman is the commissioner of LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that has left the sport divided after enticing players including Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. Rory McIlroy is the current world No. 1 and has defended the PGA Tour and DP World Tour since the rift opened, and he believes Norman quitting is the only chance of ending the “stalemate".
McIlroy: Norman should quit as LIV boss to allow 'adults' to negotiate peace settlement
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy believes Greg Norman “needs to exit stage left” as LIV Tour commissioner in order to repair the rift that is currently dividing golf.
McIlroy is looking to secure a fourth order of merit title at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai this week.
But as he prepared for the season-ending tournament, the 33-year-old has also called on Norman to quit LIV, the Saudi-backed, breakaway tour that has enticed players including Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka this season.
"Greg needs to go. He needs to exit stage left," said McIlroy.
"He's made his mark but I think now is the right time to say you've got this thing off the ground but no one's going to talk unless there's an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences.
"There are obviously two lawsuits going on at the minute. There's the PGA Tour versus LIV and there's obviously this one that's coming up with the DP World Tour in February.
"Nothing can happen if those two things are going on. Right now it is a bit of a stalemate."
Norman was key to launching LIV, and has been scathing of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour amid legal disputes with both entities.
LIV denied Norman is set to step aside, while defectors including Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter must wait until February to learn whether they will be banned from the DP World Tour.
And after Norman said players like McIlroy and Tiger Woods should be “thankful” for LIV, McIlroy hit back.
"I've said this a million times: Tiger is the reason that we are playing for as much as we are playing for," said the four-time major winner.
"Tiger is the reason that the stature of our game is where it is. The generation of Tiger and the generation coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he's done for the game of golf.
"I don't think Tiger should be thankful to anyone for anything. I think everyone else in the game should be thankful."
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