Rory McIlroy’s stance on LIV Golf is shifting, with the four-time major champion calling Greg Norman’s replacement “a good move” for the controversial Saudi-backed league.
Speaking after shooting a solid 2-under 70 at the Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy actually had some nice things to say about Norman – a pretty big change from his previous criticism.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
Rory McIlroy
257
125
$90,989,348
“Greg took a lot of flak the first couple of years,” McIlroy said. “He’s probably one of the only guys in golf who could have taken on that role. He got it off the ground and you have to commend him for that.”
That’s quite a turnaround from late 2022, when McIlroy demanded Norman “exit stage left” and let the “adults” fix golf’s bitter divide.
Norman isn’t completely leaving LIV Golf, but he’s handing over the daily operations to Scott O’Neil, who brings some serious sports management credentials to the table.
O’Neil’s got decades of experience running NBA and NHL teams. He’s already making his presence felt in golf, showing up at both The Showdown between PGA Tour and LIV players and TGL’s first match.
“He has an amazing track record with what he’s done in sports, managing teams and ownership groups,” McIlroy explained. “He’s got the right credentials to take over a sports league.”
The timing is interesting, with LIV also announcing a new TV deal with Fox on Thursday.
McIlroy, who’s been one of LIV’s biggest critics since it launched in 2022, seems to be accepting that the upstart league isn’t going away anytime soon.
“I honestly don’t know what the future holds for them,” he admitted, “but the moves they’re making, especially from an executive standpoint, it doesn’t look like they’re going to go away anytime soon.”
