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Golf

What did Rory McIlroy say about LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, Tiger Woods and World Ranking points?

The world No. 1 restated Tuesday the need for LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to ‘mend fences’ but without Greg Norman.

Update:
The world No. 1 restated Tuesday the need for LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to 'mend fences' but without Greg Norman.
SAM GREENWOODAFP

Rory Mcilroy said it’s time for Greg Norman to quit his duties as commissioner of LIV Golf in order for peace talks to start among the leaders in the game.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the world No. 1 said “Greg needs to go; he needs to exit stage left.’

Mcilroy also acknowledged two pending court cases need to be resolved to “mend fences,” but “no one is going to talk unless there’s an adult in the room,” he continued.

Norman, the CEO and commissioner of the LIV Golf League which has lured various star players with huge money purses to an eight-tournament series this year, got LIV off the ground.

The Saudi-backed League denied a report last week that stated discussion to bring on another executive to replace Norman in his CEO role.

“I’m happiest when I’m playing my best”

Mcilroy continued that he’s “thankful” for LIV providing “more opportunities for the top players to earn more,” but won’t necessarily make him happier at the end of his career. “There’s a lot of things that people play golf for and do their jobs for, and it’s not just about money. It’s about other things. It’s about fulfillment. It’s about trying to get the best out of yourself. It’s about the satisfaction of turning up and sort of trying to play to your potential.”

Related: When will LIV Golf 2023 start? What do we know about next season?

Mcilroy on Tiger Woods

The Northern Irishman had huge things to say about his current business partner, whom he grew close to over the last few years, Tiger Woods.

Tiger is the reason that we are playing for as much as we are playing for,” said Mcilroy. He proceeded to say that everyone in the sport of Golf should be “thankful” for Woods, not the other way around.

“The stature of our game is where it is. The generation of Tiger and the generation coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he’s done for the game of golf.”

“The fairest system” in golf currently

Mcilroy also acknowledged that the recent change in the calculation of the World Ranking is “the fairest system that you can come up with right now.” Referring to the drop in the amount of points given in one event, Mcilroy knows it has upset people who had been “used to getting a certain amount of World Ranking points in one event.”

No peace with a lawsuit

While the two-time major champion and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame has criticized the PGA Tour for not trying to work with his group, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has made it clear that there can be no dialogue, especially with a pending lawsuit.

LIV Golf and several players, including Phil Mickelson, have sued the PGA Tour for antitrust violations.

Mcilroy has been firm in his opinion about LIV Golf, but has also called for the need of discussion to resolve the tension and controversy that wraps the game.

“Right now it is a bit of a stalemate,’’ Mcilroy said, speaking of the litigation.