How much?! Norman reveals the number Tiger turned down to join LIV Golf
We’ve all been wondering, and now we know
It’s the question we’ve all been desperate to have answered since LIV burst onto the scene and started throwing millions at the world’s best to lure them into the rebel series: How much was Tiger Woods offered?
Some numbers were bandied about – anything from $500 million to something topping the billion mark – but thanks to the LIV commissioner Greg Norman, we now know. And it turns out the rumours weren’t far off.
In an interview with Fox News – who else? – Norman confirmed Woods was offered a deal in the region of $800 million to join the Saudi-funded series. That’s about £650 million in old money.
“That number was out there before I became CEO,” Norman admitted. “Look, Tiger is a needle-mover and of course you have to look at the best of the best. So they had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. So, yes, that number was somewhere in that neighbourhood.”
By way of comparison, Phil Mickelson is believed to be making around $200 million for his participation in LIV Golf, with Dustin Johnson raking in between $100 and $150 million, depending on where you get your information.
Woods has been an ardent opponent of LIV throughout its ascent into the world of golf, pledging loyalty to the PGA Tour on several occasions.
Having turned down the gargantuan sum, the 15-time major winner joins Jack Nicklaus in rejecting LIV’s advancements, who previously admitted he was offered a nine-digit figure to become the league’s CEO.
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George Cooper
A golf fanatic his entire life, George Cooper is NCG's man for all goings-on at the top level of the game, whether it's the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA or LIV Golf. He also looks after NCG's Twitter and Facebook accounts. George is a member of Woburn, but is not friends with Ian Poulter.