Greg Norman calls Jack Nicklaus a 'hypocrite' after the iconic golfer denied interest in the breakaway LIV Golf league
Jack Nicklaus reportedly turned down a $100 million offer to run the upstart league. Now Greg Norman says Nicklaus believed in the project.
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
- Greg Norman called Jack Nicklaus a "hypocrite" over comments he made about LIV Golf.
- Nicklaus said, at last week's Memorial Tournament, that he had "zero interest" in the breakaway tour.
- Norman told the Washington Post that contrary to Nicklaus' public comments, he had complimented the new league in private.
Greg Norman called out Jack Nicklaus as a "hypocrite" for his comments about the LIV Golf Invitational Series in an interview with the Washington Post.
Last week, Nicklaus dismissed the idea of being involved with the new league. Having previously stated that he had been offered as much as $100 million to serve as the head of the breakaway project, Nicklaus further explained his decision to stay away from LIV Golf while hosting his annual PGA Tour event at the Memorial Tournament last week.
"I've got zero interest in wanting to do something like that," Nicklaus said. "I don't care what kind of money they would have thrown at me. My allegiance has been to the PGA Tour. I grew up on the PGA Tour. I helped found the PGA Tour as it is today. My allegiance is there, and it's going to stay there.''
According to Norman, who is eventually took the top job as CEO of the Saudi-backed upstart golf league, Nicklaus had expressed his support for the new project behind closed doors.
"One hundred percent truth? Jack's a hypocrite,'' Norman told the Washington Post. "When he came out with those comments, I'm thinking: Jack must have a short memory.''
"Quote-unquote, he said: "This is good for our game. If it's good for the game of golf, it's good by me,''' Norman said. "So you want the facts? You've got the facts. Know what you said before you open your mouth.''
While the verbal sparring surrounding LIV Golf has been going on for months, we are now finally set to see some drama from the new league on an actual golf course.
The organization is on the verge of hosting its first event later this week just outside of London, with several PGA Tour pros including Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson set to make the jump for a handsome guaranteed payday.