Tiger Woods vs. LIV Golf- Who’s Winning the Battle?
Author: Canada Top Online Casino
Tiger Woods rejected an offer of millions to join the LIV Golf Tour, says Greg Norman, chief executive of the controversial series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
LIV Golf is a new global golf circuit set up by Norman and Australian entrepreneur Andrew `Twiggy’ Forrest with the aim of attracting the world’s best players. But it has been met with a lukewarm response from the golfing community, with many top players yet to commit to playing in its events.
Woods, who is currently ranked No. 20 in the world, is one of the few top golfers to have publicly declared his allegiance to the PGA Tour over LIV Golf.
“I was asked (to join LIV Golf) and I disagreed with it,” Woods said during last month’s Open Championship at Carnoustie.
“I like what we have with the PGA Tour. I think it’s the best golf tour in the world.”
Norman was once more critical of the PGA Tour as he gave a US television interview on Sunday night, saying: “The way (the PGA Tour) treats its players is disgraceful.”
Tiger Woods has maintained his allegiance to the PGA Tour over the new LIV Golf circuit, despite a contract offer from the start-up that could have earned him up to $800 million. That’s according to LIV’s chief executive Greg Norman, who said during last month’s Open Championship he “disagreed” with players like Phil Mic
While LIV Golf has struggled to attract many of the top names in golf, Norman believes that Woods would have been a game-changer for the new circuit.
“We offered him a lot of money,” Norman said in an interview with Golf.com. “I think it was $700 or $800 million, and he still said no.”
Norman went on to say that Woods “disagreed” with the new circuit, and that he prefers the PGA Tour.
“I like what we have with the PGA Tour,” Woods said during last month’s Open Championship. “I think
Norman said in an interview last week on the “Tudker Carlson Tonight” show that he didn’t want to get into a “pissing match” with the PGA Tour.
“We’re trying to do something different here,” Norman said. “We’re trying to create a global golf tour that’s going to be fan-friendly, that’s going to be player-friendly.”
The LIV Golf Tour is set to debut in 2020, with events in Saudi Arabia, China, and Australia. So far, only a handful of top golfers have committed to playing on the circuit, including Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, and Adam Scott.
It remains to be seen if Woods will change his mind and join the LIV Golf Tour, but Norman seems confident that he eventually will.
“I think Tiger will come around,” Norman said.
“What we’re doing is we’re actually making golf interesting again,” Norman said. “We’re putting the fans first.”
Woods has stayed allegiant to the PGA which supported him through his years of success, saying at the Open Championship in Scotland last month, “The players who have chosen to go to LIV and to play there, I disagree with it. I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.
The new LIV Golf circuit is being bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in an attempt to attract the world’s best golfers. The tour has been met with mixed reactions from both fans and players. While some top golfers have committed to playing on the circuit, others like Tiger Woods have yet to make a decision.
“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.”
Norman has responded saying, “We’re trying to create an opportunity for young people, new people, to come and play the game of golf.”
The LIV Golf Invitational Series is a breakaway circuit that was launched in June this year. It is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and has been criticised by some for its links to the country.