World No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy mentioned Tuesday that one factor has to occur earlier than the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf circuit can work collectively: LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman has to step down.
McIlroy, talking to reporters forward of this week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, mentioned the edges will not come to a compromise till Norman, a two-time Open Championship winner, is now not the general public face of the brand new circuit being funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund.
“There’s a couple of issues that I want to see on the LIV aspect that should occur,” McIlroy mentioned. “I believe Greg must go. I believe he simply must exit stage left. He is made his mark, however I believe now could be the best time to kind of say, ‘Look, you’ve got obtained this factor off the bottom, however nobody goes to speak except there’s an grownup within the room that may really attempt to mend fences.'”
Final week, Majed Al Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and chief of Saudi Golf, denied a printed report within the Telegraph of London that Norman was being pressured out. The Telegraph reported that LIV Golf was pursuing Taco Bell CEO Mark King to exchange Norman. King was beforehand the CEO of TaylorMade and president of Adidas in North America.
The Telegraph reported that King attended a number of LIV Golf occasions in its inaugural season and met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Funding Fund.
“Greg Norman is our CEO and Commissioner,” Al Sorour mentioned in a press release final week. “Any suggestion that adjustments are being made to Greg’s title or function is patently false.”
In February, a Sports activities Resolutions UK panel will determine whether or not the DP World Tour can punish its members who competed in LIV Golf occasions, together with Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and others.
LIV Golf and a handful of its gamers filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in opposition to the PGA Tour, by which LIV Golf claims the PGA Tour illegally suspended gamers for competing in LIV Golf tournaments and is wielding its monopoly energy to squash competitors. The PGA Tour filed a countersuit, claiming LIV Golf has interfered with present contracts it had with its members.
“It is clearly been a really contentious 12 months in golf,” McIlroy mentioned. “And I’ve mentioned this: The very best factor in golf is to have all the perfect gamers taking part in collectively, and what’s taking place proper now, that is not taking place. So I concern for the sport when that is happening.
“It is contentious as a result of there’s lawsuits happening and folks suing individuals; it’s extremely, very messy. So once more, if all that stuff may be sorted out by hook or by crook, then you will get to the stage the place there’s forgiveness and folks can have dialogue and are available to some kind of widespread floor or compromise. However whereas all that is taking place, it’s extremely laborious to try this.”
