Australian golfing great Greg Norman admits his venture with LIV has cost him many close relationships.
But he’s adamant the decision to head up the Saudi-backed league has been a success, and improved the standing of the game’s professionals around the world.
Norman’s poaching of a number of the best men’s players from the PGA Tour – including Australia’s Cameron Smith, who was world No.2 and fresh off an Open Championship victory when he defected – has torn the game in two and sparked fiery run-ins on the range and in court rooms.
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The 68-year-old has long maintained he has the best interests of the players at heart, despite heavy ongoing criticism from the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
In response to LIV’s monstrous offers – most totalling tens of millions of dollars just to sign on – the PGA Tour has increased prizemoney for a number of events.
”Yes, we’ve gone and ruffled a few feathers. But we ruffled the feathers of a monopolist,” Norman told the “People I (Mostly) Admire” podcast this week.
“A monopolist who basically controlled the sport for 53 years. I tried to make a bit of a change back in ’93, ’94 with the world tour and again ran into the same headwinds back then as what we’re running into now. So they don’t like change.
“They don’t like competition. To see what’s happened today on the PGA Tour, since LIV came onto the scene, a massive amount of capital was injected back into the players on the PGA Tour.
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“So, to be honest with you, the players on the PGA Tour should be giving a standing ovation to LIV, the league, and the players for stimulating this new injection of money.”
While Norman believes LIV has achieved what he hoped it would, he concedes it has ended relationships in his personal life.
“Some of my dear friends don’t even speak to me because of this,” he said.
“That’s their choice. If you don’t want to talk to me again, happy days.”
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