Rory McIlroy appears to have softened his stance on his rivals over at LIV Golf heading into 2024, a move welcomed by the breakaway league’s commissioner Greg Norman
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has welcomed Rory McIlroy’s recent change in heart on the breakaway circuit. McIlroy has infamously been one of LIV’s biggest critics since bursting onto the scene as a rival to the PGA Tour in 2022.
Nevertheless, it seems the Northern Irishman is now content with the breakaway league’s position at the top of the game and is prepared to coexist amicably with a proposed merger on the horizon, following nearly two years of rivalry.
At first, McIlroy had been critical of some of his teammates who chose to switch from the PGA Tour to the LIV setup, which offered lucrative contracts to some of the biggest names in golf.
But the four-time major winner has acknowledged that he might have made a “mistake” by assuming too much about his fellow athletes. “Now that I realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’ position, I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part,” McIlroy said to Stick to Football. “I think at this point, I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV golf at the start.”
Over the past two years, I believe I’ve come to the realization that all athletes become professionals in order to support themselves through their passions. If there is anything I regret, it’s probably being too critical of others from the beginning because I can’t judge them for their choice.”
Commissioner Norman is a man with whom McIlroy has frequently disagreed during the PGA Tour’s ordeal with the LIV league, but the former world number one was happy to see his opponent’s softer posture. When asked about his feelings regarding McIlroy’s remarks on LIV’s Fairway to Heaven podcast, Norman said, “Happy golfing new year! That’s my response!
“I must admit to you that I really appreciate what Rory said. A difficult couple of years have passed. We have followed through on our commitments. We have been consistent in our narrative. Our method of delivery has always been reliable.
“The fact that Rory did judge us without all the facts is why I say I appreciate him falling on his sword to some extent. He assessed us based on the ideas and viewpoints of others.” Despite the division in the professional golf world, Norman restated LIV’s long-term goal of coexisting amicably with the PGA Tour.
“We wanted to have a sit-down meeting with them right away to fully explain the importance of the LIV footprint, business plan, and potential effects on golf. “Hey, thank you, Rory,” I say. It was a given that it would function well within the golf ecosystem. He stated, “We all want to be there, and we will be there.” This, in my opinion, is a crucial turning point for everyone.
