No LIV offer yet for Rory, says Norman
ADELAIDE, Australia (AFP) — LIV Golf boss Greg Norman denied Wednesday making any financial offer for Rory McIlroy to jump ship from the PGA Tour, but said he was happy to “have a conversation.”
A report in Britain last week said McIlroy — a long-time critic of the upstart Saudi circuit — was poised to switch to LIV in a staggering deal worth $850 million.
But the four-time major winner from Northern Ireland swiftly debunked the rumors in an interview with NBC’s Golf Central.
“LIV never put an offer to him,” Norman said when asked by AFP on the sidelines of LIV’s latest stop in Adelaide.
“This is just typical white noise that gets out there in the industry.”
LIV has signed a slew of golf’s elite since its formation, with Spanish star Jon Rahm the last big name to make the switch last December in a move reported to be worth around $500 million.
McIlroy has been increasingly conciliatory towards LIV professionals in recent months amid negotiations with the PGA Tour over a merger, but insisted to NBC he planned to remain on the PGA Tour “for the rest of my career.”
Norman said he would always be welcome should he change his mind.
“If Rory was willing to sit down with us and have a conversation with us, would we be happy to sit down with him — 100 percent,” he said.