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World No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy stated Tuesday that one factor has to occur earlier than the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf circuit can work collectively: LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman has to step down.
McIlroy, chatting with reporters forward of this week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, stated the perimeters will not come to a compromise till Norman, a two-time Open Championship winner, is not the general public face of the brand new circuit being funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund.
“There’s a couple of issues that I wish to see on the LIV facet that should occur,” McIlroy stated. “I feel Greg must go. I feel he simply must exit stage left. He is made his mark, however I feel now’s the proper time to type of say, ‘Look, you’ve got received this factor off the bottom, however nobody goes to speak until there’s an grownup within the room that may truly attempt to mend fences.'”
Final week, Majed Al Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and chief of Saudi Golf, denied a printed report within the Telegraph of London that Norman was being pressured out. The Telegraph reported that LIV Golf was pursuing Taco Bell CEO Mark King to interchange Norman. King was beforehand the CEO of TaylorMade and president of Adidas in North America.
The Telegraph reported that King attended a number of LIV Golf occasions in its inaugural season and met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Funding Fund.
“Greg Norman is our CEO and Commissioner,” Al Sorour stated in a press release final week. “Any suggestion that adjustments are being made to Greg’s title or function is patently false.”
In February, a Sports activities Resolutions UK panel will resolve whether or not the DP World Tour can punish its members who competed in LIV Golf occasions, together with Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and others.
LIV Golf and a handful of its gamers filed a federal antitrust lawsuit towards the PGA Tour, through which LIV Golf claims the PGA Tour illegally suspended gamers for competing in LIV Golf tournaments and is wielding its monopoly energy to squash competitors. The PGA Tour filed a countersuit, claiming LIV Golf has interfered with current contracts it had with its members.
“It is clearly been a really contentious yr in golf,” McIlroy stated. “And I’ve stated this: The perfect factor in golf is to have all the very best gamers enjoying collectively, and what’s taking place proper now, that is not taking place. So I concern for the sport when that is happening.
“It is contentious as a result of there’s lawsuits happening and other people suing folks; it is very, very messy. So once more, if all that stuff may be sorted out someway, then you will get to the stage the place there’s forgiveness and other people can have dialogue and are available to some type of frequent floor or compromise. However whereas all that is taking place, it is very arduous to try this.”
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