Tiger Woods turned down a sum in the region of $700-800 million (€680-780m) to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, the breakaway circuit’s chief executive Greg Norman told Fox News.
Norman said the offer was made before the Australian was named chief executive of the controversial series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
"That number was out there before I became CEO. So that number has been out there, yes," two-times major winner Norman said in an interview that aired on Monday night.
Read more
The Legend of Sparrow Robertson: The last sportswriter in Nazi Paris
‘Helping him in his darkest moment was also helping me’: David Eccles and Tadhg Kennelly on an act of friendship that spawned a movement
Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards: ‘The greatest collection of women in Irish sport in one place ever assembled’
Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington named Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2024
[ Different Strokes: Prestwick recreate original Open courseOpens in new window ]
[ Luke Donald replaces Henrik Stenson as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain for RomeOpens in new window ]
[ Latest news, comment and features on the Saudi-backed LIV tourOpens in new window ]
“Look, Tiger is a needle mover, right? So, of course you’re got to look at the best of the best. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. That number is somewhere in that ($700-800 million) neighbourhood.”
LIV Golf has signed several marquee players for the series, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, but 15-times major champion Woods has stayed committed to the PGA Tour.
Former world number one Woods said before last month's British Open that he disagreed with the decision by players to join the LIV Series and compared the circuit, which features huge guaranteed contracts and a 54-hole format, to the senior Champions Tour.
“I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position,” he said.
