Greg Norman Claims He Held LIV Talks With 2022 Major Winner

Greg Norman has revealed that he talked to a 2022 Major winner to outline the case for joining LIV Golf, but he opted to remain on the PGA Tour.

The circuit has made six signings in preparation for the LIV Golf League, which begins in Mexico at El Camaleon Golf Club on Friday. However, the highest profile of them is World No.35 Thomas Pieters, and none of them has a Major win.   

That’s a significant contrast to 2022, when players of the calibre of six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson, four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka, Open champion Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson, who has won the US Open and The Masters, all joined the circuit.

However, according to CEO Norman, even though LIV Golf couldn't attract more for the new season, they tried. Speaking to the People I (Mostly) Admire podcast, the Australian told host Steven Levitt: “I won’t mention this player’s name, but he is a top player. He’s won a Major championship in the last year in 2022. I’ll just put it to you that way. And he asked me to come over, to sit down, and show him what the LIV product was all about. He was willing to sit down and listen. So myself and another one of my executives went over to his house, and we sat there, and we walked him through the presentation.”

Norman then explained that the player had expressed surprise at the information he was given. He continued: “And he just sat there and looked at me and goes, ‘Wow, this is nothing like we’ve been told in the locker room.’"

Even though the player chose not to sign for LIV, Norman said he had respect for him because he was prepared to listen to what was on offer. He said: “Now, he decided not to come. I respect him wholeheartedly because he understood both sides, and he had a decision to make. He could have done whatever he wanted, and he chose to do that. 

"Those individuals, I applaud. Those individuals to me have tremendous amount of intelligence and street smart because they wanted to learn what the truth was. What are the facts? What are my opportunities? What are my preferences? Now I’ll make a decision over here.”

Norman’s comments came as he expressed frustration that players including PGA Tour stalwarts Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are outspoken about LIV Golf without having talked to officials from the outfit.  

He said: “They have never sat down - I know with me they have not; I know with none of my executives or my team - have sat down to understand what the business platform is and what the business platform can deliver to them. They just haven’t seen it. So if you don’t see it, don’t comment on it, right? Because everybody’s got an opinion. And I’ve got a great saying: ‘Opinions are like a******s. Everybody’s got one.’”

Norman’s comments on the discussion with the unnamed player come a couple of months after he revealed to Bunkered that he had spoken to PGA Champion Justin Thomas. At the time, he said: “We talked to JT. Me and another member of my team, we sat down with him and gave him the full presentation and, if you notice, he’s not said much negative about what we’re doing, presumably because he knows it and understands it. 

"Our door is open for everybody. We’re not the PGA Tour. We’re not like that. We exist for the players, so we will always have an open door, whether that’s for Rory or Jordan Spieth or Justin Thomas or whoever."