Norman: Rory ‘starting to see the light’ as LIV targets Ireland

Rory McIlroy

Greg Norman believes Rory McIlroy "is starting to see the light" on LIV Golf and admitted the controversial Saudi-funded league is looking to stage a megabucks event in Ireland.

While Donald Trump's Doonbeg is an obvious venue after the former President's son Eric said last week they'd welcome LIV Golf to the Co Clare resort, LIV has not been in touch so far.

Despite that, Norman extended an olive branch to McIlroy after the Co Down man conceded the PGA TOUR has been forced to change by LIV.

And with the world number three admitting at the Wells Fargo Championship last week that "there's more to life than the golf world and this silly little squabble that's going on between tours", golf insiders believe an alliance is inevitable.

Speaking to BBC NI about a possible Irish event, Norman said: "We are looking to 2025-26,' 26-'27 and' 27-'28 now. So the popularity of this has spoken for itself, and so yes, countries like Ireland are a passionate golf country and a passionate destination country not only for Americans but for Europeans to go play there.

"I have built golf courses there, which I am very proud of, so from my perspective, of course, we are going to keep all options open."

Rory McIlroy called for Norman to "exit stage left" earlier this year so the PGA TOUR and LIV Golf could come to some sort of entente cordiale. But he also admitted in March that the emergence of LIV Golf had forced the PGA Tour to make major changes.

"I'm not going to sit here and lie; I think the emergence of LIV, or the emergence of a competitor to the PGA Tour, has benefited everyone that plays elite professional golf," McIlroy said. "I think when you've been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there's not a lot of incentive to innovate.

"This (LIV) has caused a ton of innovation at the PGA Tour, and what was quite, I would say, an antiquated system is being revamped to try to mirror where we're at in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape."

This year's PGA TOUR schedule features 13 designated events outside the Majors worth around $20 million each, and Norman admitted it was heartening to hear McIlroy soften his view on LIV.

"I am glad Rory is starting to maybe see the light a little bit," Norman said. "I am glad Rory has recognised that LIV really truly identified how antiquated the PGA TOUR was. I am glad Rory is recognising LIV has been a leader in getting the PGA TOUR to try and follow us. Why have we done that? Because of the players."

Were LIV Golf to come to Ireland, LIV Golf's Graeme McDowell admits there would have to be a mood change.

"First of all, the market has to want it; the fans have to want it," McDowell said. "I think this is a truly global tour, and we can take these events anywhere in the world... Would I like to play a LIV event in Ireland? Of course, I would. But I think there are a lot of things that have to happen between now and then."

McIlroy admitted his disastrous Masters performance and decision to skip a designated event and take a three-week break to look after his mental health (costing him a $3 million bonus) had much to do with the battle with LIV.

"I wasn't gassed because of the golf; I was gassed because of everything that we've had to deal with in the golf world over the past 12 months and being right in the middle of it and being in that decision-making process," McIlroy said at the Wells Fargo. "I've always thought I've had a good handle on the perspective of things and where golf fits within my life, but I think over the last 12 months I'd lost sight of that, lost sight of the fact that there's more to life than the golf world and this silly little squabble that's going on between tours."

As for the PGA TOUR, Seamus Power will be looking to build on his tie for 18th at Quail Hollow last week in this week's AT&T Byron Nelson.

He's set to join McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington in the US PGA at Oak Hill next week, but Tiger Woods is definitively out injured as he does not figure in the official entry list.

Meanwhile, US Ryder Cup Captain Zach Johnson yesterday named Fred Couples as one of his Vice Captains for Rome in September, joining Steve Stricker, Davis Love III and Jim Furyk in his backroom team.

On the DP World Tour, Gary Hurley and John Murphy fly the flag in the Soudal Open in Belgium, while Olivia Mehaffey plays the Jabra Ladies Open at Evian Resort.

In the G4D Open at Woburn, Brendan Lawlor birdied three of his last four holes on the Duchess Course and carded a two-under 70 to share the first-round lead with world number one Kipp Popert.