Norman: Tiger turned down $700M from LIV

Tiger Woods turned down an offer that Greg

Norman says was “somewhere in that neighborhood” of $700 million to $800 million to take part in the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series.

During an appearance on Fox News with Tucker Carlson that aired Monday night, Norman confirmed what he told the Washington Post in a story two months ago. Norman told the Post in June the offer was “mind-blowingly enormous; we're talking about high nine digits.”

Woods has been opposed to LIV Golf since late last year, and he delivered his strongest comments at the British Open when he said players who took the money funded by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund had “turned their back” on the PGA Tour that made them famous.

When an offer was made to Woods was not clear.

“That number was out there before I became CEO. So that number has been out there, yes,” Norman said in the Fox News interview, which took place Sunday at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J., where the third LIV Golf Invitational was held.

“And, look, Tiger is a needle-mover and of course you have to look at the best of the best,” Norman said. “So they had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. So, yes, that number was somewhere in that neighborhood.”

• Luke Donald jumped at a second chance to be Ryder Cup captain for Europe, taking over just 14 months before the 2023 matches in Italy without knowing whether players who sign up for the Saudi riches of LIV Golf will be available to him.

Donald knew only that unlike Henrik Stenson, stripped of the captaincy for signing up with the LIV Golf rival league, he wouldn't be going anywhere. “I'm giving you my word that I will be here for the next 14 months,” Donald said in a video call. “I'm excited about this opportunity. I really am. The Ryder Cup means so much to me and I'm not going to take this lightly. So I will see you in Rome.”