Tiger Woods echoes Rory McIlroy’s call for Greg Norman to step down as LIV Golf CEO

McIlroy and Woods have been the biggest supporters of the established tours in their battle with the Saudi-funded breakaway, but McIlroy recently called for a compromise to be reached between the rival factions.

The world number one feels that will be impossible if Norman remains at the helm of LIV Golf and Woods made it abundantly clear he feels the same way as he praised McIlroy for being a “true leader”.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Hero World Challenge, Woods said: “There is an opportunity out there if both organisations put a stay on their litigation. That’s the problem.

“I think Greg has to go first of all. It has to start with leadership on their side, understanding that what is happening right now is not the best future for the whole game of golf.

“You need to have the two bodies come together and if one side has so much animosity, trying to destroy our tour, then how do you work with that?

“There is a window of opportunity for us from both tours to figure this out but I think that window’s closing just because the majors are coming up now and they’re going to have their own criteria, but again that goes back to LIV and their lawsuit.

“They’re suing us first and we countersued them. They have to back off the table, then we’ll back off the table and then we have a place to talk, but their leadership has to change as well.”

Asked to sum up an unprecedented year in men’s professional golf, Woods added: “This whole year is a year we didn’t expect to have happen, for the animosity, the angst and then the players leaving and then the way they showed their disregard or disrespect to the Tour that helped them get to that point.

“There’s a lot of things I certainly don’t like about it and there’s certain players that are very upfront with it and have declared it and I respect them for that, but there’s also a flipside to that too that I thought was a little on the tasteless side.”

Woods had intended to play this week but withdrew on Monday due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot and said he had undergone “a couple of surgeries” this year as a result of returning to action following a life-threatening car accident in February 2021.

The 15-time major winner has not played since the 150th Open Championship in July, when he missed the cut.

“I had a few setbacks during the year that I was able to play through, but this one I can’t,” added Woods, who said he tested negative for Covid-19 at St Andrews after McIlroy revealed at the weekend he feared he had passed the virus to his friend.

“Only time can heal this one.”

Woods still plans to partner McIlroy in The Match against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas on December 10 and contest the PNC Championship with son Charlie the following week, but will be allowed to use a golf cart in both.