An attempt to oust Greg Norman, and plans to make Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods leading LIV Golf figures, have been revealed as part of talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
According to documents released during Tuesday’s Senate hearing, there was a proposed side agreement that would have forced Norman out of his role as LIV Golf chief.
Another part of the peace proposals included plans to hand Woods and McIlroy their own LIV Golf franchises, and play in 10 events per year each.
There’s no suggestion that either Woods or McIlroy knew about the proposal, which was not included in the framework agreement of the merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF.
The documents do, however, suggest McIlroy met with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in Dubai in November, according to ESPN.
That reported meeting had not been publicly disclosed by McIlroy, who is a member of the PGA Tour’s policy board and will have a vote on whether any partnership goes through.
The framework agreement also didn’t have any mention of Norman, who remains in his role as LIV Golf chief but faces an uncertain future.
Meanwhile, the documents revealed other bizarre proposals as part of the talks, including one for Al-Rumayyan to be given membership to Augusta National and the R&A.
The Telegraph reports that the PGA Tour rejected the proposal for McIlroy and Woods to be involved in LIV Golf, and also refused to assist in getting Al-Rumayyan those exclusive memberships.
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TALKS TO REMOVE NORMAN
The merger negotiations are under scrutiny by a subcommittee that is seeking to determine how the investment in golf by PIF aligns with the kingdom’s geopolitical interests.
The proposal to replace Norman as LIV’s chief was included in a side agreement that was negotiated ahead of the merger announcement, but the committee could not determine whether the side agreement was executed.
Emails obtained by the committee showed that PGA Tour board members Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy discussed with PGA Tour CEO Jay Monahan the prospect of Dunne and Herlihy replacing Norman.
“Jimmy, I raised the idea with Jay of you overseeing LIV going forward. He really liked it,” Herlihy wrote on May 15.
“You and me,” Dunne replied.
Norman and Monahan have feuded publicly since LIV Golf started poaching some of the top golfers — including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith — from the PGA Tour.
Norman remains in the CEO role, although he has been largely sidelined as the public face of LIV since the deal was announced. He was invited to testify at Tuesday’s hearing along with the governor of the PIF Yasir Al-Rumayyan; both declined.
Among other proposals included in the memo are a mixed-gender, LIV-style team event with qualifying in Saudi Arabia and concluding in Dubai; awarding world ranking points to LIV events, including retroactively; and PIF sponsorship of two elevated PGA Tour events, including one in Saudi Arabia.
— This appeared in NY Post and was republished with consent.
