“I’m not going to be a player for much longer” - Tiger Woods on why he's vocal against LIV Golf
Tiger Woods has always been vocal against LIV Golf. This sentiment was again on display when the former No. 1 questioned LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman on the fear of defection if they play in the Majors.
“I’m not going to be a player for much longer, but I think it’s more important that we recognize the past, and build a better future,” Woods responded, as per Golf Digest.
“How do you do that? Us coming collectively together, what Jack and Arnold did and Gary, we’re trying to do the same thing now. We’re trying to leave the product better than what we came here with," Woods added.
Tiger stated that when he and his contempories debuted, there were not enough playing opportuinites, and there used to be lesser access than present times. He was of the opinion that it's a constant process and recognizes the ability of top players to play around the globe.
"And the best place to play is the PGA Tour. That’s where all the top players do play. And we all as players want to compete against one another and beat each other’s brains in. That’s the fun part about it. We just need to do that collectively together more often. How we do that is the challenge of it all,” stated Tiger further (via Golf Digest).
Woods said that although they (him and Rory McIlroy) did the meeting and conference calls together, it was McIlroy who had to face questions as he wasn’t playing that much.
He said:
"...But I wasn’t out front having to deal with questions from the media. He had to do it. And not only that he had to go play and win events, which he was able to do. So hats off to him for doing what he did this entire year."
McIlroy and Woods have been the main voices against the Saudi-funded breakaway LIV Golf. However, McIlroy recently called for a settlement between the two parties. The World No. 1 felt it wouldn't be possible until Greg Norman resigned from his post. Tiger echoed the same thoughts as Rory.
"There is no willingness to negotiate if you have litigation against you. I think Greg has to go first of all," said Woods on Tuesday, ahead of the World Hero Challenge.
Tiger Woods vs LIV Golf
The LIV Tour is a controversial event, which is backed by the Saudi Government. The prize money of $250 million was set to be the biggest in the history of any golf tournament. The event gained even more leverage when 2021 PGA Tour Champion Phil Mickelson agreed to accept their offer to join.
Consequently, the PGA Tour banned players who joined LIV Golf. The suspended players challenged the suspension but lost the anti-trust lawsuit.
Tiger has always been vocal against LIV Golf in the past. He has openly criticized Norman in the past as well. According to reports, Woods had earlier declined an offer worth $1 billion, stating that he wouldn't play for LIV Golf even for such a huge amount.