Greg Norman has confirmed that LIV Golf did not make a move for Rory McIlroy despite rumours about a £672 million offer being on the table. But the league's boss has refused to rule out meeting with the world No 2 in the future.
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McIlroy, 34, has been the subject of significant speculation around switching to the Saudi Arabia-backed tour since softening his stance on the PGA Tour's rival. The player himself shot down the stories last week, and Norman has now concurred.
Both figures have not always seen eye-to-eye, with their feud dating back to early 2020 and the first rumblings about an upstart league. McIlroy notably called for the two-time Open champion to resign from his role as LIV Golf's chief executive in November 2022.
The Northern Irishman most recently described Norman as doing a disservice to PIF governor Yasir al-Rumayyan for the way he represents the league. But despite that latest dig, the outspoken Australian has offered him an olive branch.
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But before that, Norman addressed the apparent proposal put to McIlroy. “LIV never put an offer to him," he said during a press conference on Wednesday. “This is just typical white noise that gets out there in the industry.
“If Rory was willing to sit down and have a conversation with us, would we be happy to sit down with him? One hundred per cent. No different than any other player who would be interested in coming on and playing with us.
“It's understanding the facts about what LIV represents and what LIV can deliver on a global basis. It's up to you to determine it.
Norman then recalled: “I've sat down with one top, top PGA Tour player in his house with another member of my team, walking through the whole process, and he was so impressed. He said, 'Well, that's not what we're told in the locker room. This is really impressive.'
“But he made the decision, he told me up two days later and said, 'I've decided to stay where I'm at'. I said, 'Happy days. You made a decision on fact'.
“'If you're happier over here, fine, stay there. Your door is always open; if you want to come back and have a conversation with us, happy to do that."
These comments come after McIlroy also addressed the speculation. “I honestly don’t know how these things get started," he told the Golf Channel.
“I’ve never been offered a number from LIV. I’ve never contemplated going to LIV.
“Again, I’ve made it clear over the last two years that I don’t think [LIV] is something for me," he reiterated before later proclaiming: "My future is here on the PGA Tour, and it’s never been any different … I will play on the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”
