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The CEO of LIV Golf, Greg Norman, has finally responded to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's comments about wanting him to step down from his position. The Saudi-backed golf series has been in the headlines since its inception and has also fought a legal battle with the PGA Tour.
While many top-ranked golfers joined LIV for the hefty amount of money they received, some stayed loyal to the historic PGA Tour. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have always argued strongly against LIV Golf and recently called on Norman to leave his position.
In an interview with Today's Golf, released on Saturday, Greg Norman addressed Woods and McIlroy's comments. He said:
"I pay zero attention to McIlroy and Woods, right?"
The former Australian golfer believes the duo have their own agenda and went on to say:
"They have their agenda for whatever reason. They're saying whatever they want to say. It has no bearing or effect on me. I'm going to be with LIV Golf for a long, long period. "
Norman also stated that he would continue to ignore the naysayers and focus on his duties to strengthen the roots of LIV Golf. He added:
"When the monopolist's territory is getting threatened, they're going to rear their ugly heads up and do what they do. But from my perspective, I've always taken the high road this year. I will continue to take the high road because I believe in our business model.
"I believe in our people, I believe in the players' independent rights, and we've already seen a dramatic shift in our audience."
"Greg Needs to go" - Rory McIlroy talks about Greg Norman
The infamous battle between the LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour has created divisions among professional golfers. Some have supported the Saudi-backed series, while others have backed the PGA Tour.
Rory McIlroy is firmly behind the PGA Tour. In a statement, as quoted by Golf.com last month, the current World No. 1 golfer said:
"I think there are a few things that need to happen. So, there are obviously two lawsuits going on at the minute, there's PGA Tour Versus LIV, and there's this one that's coming up with the DP World Tour in February. Nothing will happen if those two things are still going on. You're limited in what you can do."
McIlroy believes that to put everything in its proper place, Greg Norman should vacate his position. The Irish golfer said:
"I think Greg needs to go. I think he just needs to exit stage left. He's made his mark but I think now is the right time to sort of say, look, you've got this thing off the ground. But no one is going to talk unless there's an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences."
Greg Norman is focused on the 2023 LIV Golf series, which has already started taking shape and has announced upcoming tournaments in Mexico, Singapore, and Spain.
