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Former LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman “would love to sit down” and talk with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy about how they’ve financially benefitted from the establishment of LIV Golf, noting that he’d “win the debate” regarding the matter.
“I would love to. I would love them to recognize the fact that – like Tiger with his PIP money [Player Impact Program] – that only came because of LIV, right? So Tiger benefitted from that. Rory’s definitely benefitted from that. I would love to sit down and talk to them about it, no question about it. Because I’m not a judgmental person and you only learn the facts and truth when you hear the other side of it.
“But, yes, would I like to sit down with them? Sure, absolutely. And you know what? I’d win the debate.”
McIlroy was once one of LIV Golf’s most vocal critics, though he’s since said he was too “judgmental” of those who defected for the organization. McIlroy also previously said that Norman’s exit, which paved the way for new LIV CEO Scott O’Neil, was “probably a good move.”
LIV Golf, which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, opened play in 2022.
It made waves for poaching ex-PGA Tour players for hundreds of millions, with Phil Mickelson reportedly receiving $200 million, Dustin Johnson getting around $125 million and Bryson DeChambeau also getting around $125 million, among other fat paydays.
Those contracts continue to be dished out, as Jon Rahm now owns the biggest one at $300 million. Rahm also received $16,754,488 in prize money plus an $18 million bonus payout last year.
The PGA Tour notably raised its prize pools significantly as LIV was taking its players, as Lev Akabas of Sportico detailed in June 2023:
“The PGA Tour responded to its competitor by raising tournament payouts to keep players from bolting to LIV Golf. Its total purse for the 2022-23 season was set north of $560 million, an increase of 33% over the previous year, or 25% after adjusting for inflation. In the previous eight years combined, for comparison, the tour’s purse increased just 19% in 2023 dollars.”
Also of note, the FedEx Cup purse rose from $75 million in 2023 to $100 million in 2024. The PGA also introduced PGA TOUR Signature Events in 2024, which have sizable prize pools. The next one is at Pebble Beach and features a $20 million purse.
According to Golf Channel, Scottie Scheffler raked in big bucks last season, taking home $29,228,357 on Tour, a $25,000,000 bonus for winning the FedExCup an $8 million bonus for leading the Comcast Business top 10 and $1 million more for emerging as the champion at the Hero World Challenge.
The PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program, introduced in 2020-21 to financially reward players who “generate the most positive interest in the PGA Tour,” notably saw a bump to $100 million in 2023. McIlroy earned $15 million from it in 2023, with Woods netting $12 million.
The number was halved to $50 million in 2024, but Woods still got $10 million, with McIlroy earning $4.5 million.