Tiger Woods turned down an offer between $700m-$800m to join LIV Golf, Greg Norman has confirmed.
The 15-time Major winner’s fee is some $500m more than the number reported to have lured Phil Mickelson over to the series, but Woods has remained loyal to the PGA Tour. Norman confirmed that the offer had been made prior to him becoming LIV Golf’s CEO.
“That number was out there before I became CEO. So that number has been out there, yes,” Norman told Fox News at the LIV Golf Bedminster Invitational, with the interviewing airing on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Monday evening.
“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.”
Norman revealed in June in an interview with the Washington Post (opens in new tab) how Woods’ representatives were pitched the LIV Golf model and the 15-time Major winner was offered a deal that was “mind-blowingly enormous,” saying “we’re talking about high nine digits.”
VIDEO: THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT TIGER WOODS
Woods is a staunch supporter of the PGA Tour and delivered a savage verdict on LIV during the 150th Open, criticising the format and how it may lead to golfers not working as hard as previously.
“I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position,” Woods said of the players who had left the PGA Tour.
“But what these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practise? What is the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt? You’re just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes,” he said. “They’re playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different.”
“I can understand 54 holes is almost like a mandate when you get to the Senior Tour. The guys are little bit older and a little more banged up. But when you’re at this young age and some of these kids – they really are kids who have gone from amateur golf…
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