DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has said LIV Circuit boss Australian Greg Norman must leave before any attempt at negotiations between the dissident Saudi-backed Circuit and the Saudi-backed Circuit. the PGA.
“I think there are several things that need to happen,” the four-time Major winner replied when asked in Dubai on Tuesday whether it was possible for the two warring parties to end their dispute. .
“There are obviously two trials going on right now. There is the PGA Tour against LIV and there is another one to come with the DP World Tour (the European Tour, Ed) in February, ”recalled the Northern Irish player.
“Nothing will happen if these two cases are still ongoing,” McIlroy said.
“Whatever happens with these two cases, I would like some things to happen on the LIV side,” he said, however.
“I think Greg (Norman, Editor’s note) has to leave. I think he should leave the stage. He left his mark, but I think it’s a good time to say, “listen, you got this thing off the ground, but nobody’s going to argue unless there’s an adult in the room who can actually try to smooth the corners”. »
“If those two things happen, then things can change. But right now it’s a dead end,” McIlroy said.
The 33-year-old star has been openly critical of LIV and has lashed out at Norman on several occasions in the past.
The Australian has been leading the circuit launched this year under the aegis of the Saudi Arabian sovereign fund since 2021, which has recruited with very generous checks some of the biggest names in golf such as the Americans Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed or the Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
