Tiger Woods wants Greg Norman to go
Sports icon Tiger Woods has echoed Rory McIlroy’s call for Greg Norman to step down as LIV Golf’s chief executive to allow a settlement to be negotiated between the rival tours.
McIlroy, the world No 1, recently called for a compromise to be reached between the warring factions, who are suing each other, but said that would be impossible if Norman remained at the helm of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
Woods, speaking at a press conference before the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, praised McIlroy for being a “true leader” and said: “There is an opportunity out there if both organisations put a stay on their litigation. That’s the problem. There is no willingness to negotiate if you have litigation against you. I think Greg has to go first of all.
“It has to start with leadership on their side, understanding that what is happening right now is not the best future for golf. You need to have the two bodies come together and if one side has so much animosity, trying to destroy our tour, how do you work with that?
“There is a window of opportunity for us from both tours to figure this out but I think that window’s closing just because the majors are coming up now and they’re going to have their own criteria, but again that goes back to LIV and their lawsuit.
“They’re suing us first and we countersued them. They have to back off the table, then we’ll back off the table and then we have a place to talk, but their leadership has to change as well.
“If that doesn’t then I think it’s going to continue going down the path that it’s going right now.”
Woods had intended to play the Hero World Challenge but withdrew on Monday after developing plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
The 15-times major winner has not played competitively since the Open Championship in July, when he missed the cut in what could prove to be his final Open at St Andrews.
“I had a few setbacks during the year that I was able to play through but this one I can’t,” Woods said. “Only time can heal this one.
“I was walking more and more trying to get my legs ready for this week and I was just making it worse.”
