‘I can’t’: Tiger talks on LIV deal, future

Greg Norman’s departure as LIV Golf chief executive won’t hasten a deal with the PGA Tour because of the intense watch on negotiations by the US Department of Justice.

Tiger Woods, who, along with Rory McIlroy, called for Norman to “walk away” more than 12 months ago, is part of the ongoing talks with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and said while a deal was closer it was still hamstrung by legalities.

Norman’s move out of the chief executive role he held since LIV was established came with high praise for the Australian legend from LIV stars despite the angst it caused the sport, which has healed.

Ahead of their made-for-TV clash in Las Vegas in December, LIV stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka joined world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy for a photo shoot for Golf Digest and did an interview declaring their desire for the two tours to “get along”.

Woods, who is in the Bahamas for his annual Hero World Challenge event, but not playing as he tracks towards full fitness, said negotiations with the PIF were “fluid” and conceded the interjection of the US government was a challenge that was slowing the process down.

“I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this,” he said

“Even if it did, we’re still at the regulations of the DOJ saying it’s giving us hominus dominus that it will go through. Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the DOJ’s hands, but we wish we would have had something more concrete and further along than we are right now.

“But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily. From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive. But yes, definitely moving.”

Woods declared he still had a “burning desire” to be a playing part of whatever the new golfing world looked like, unwilling, despite being on the verge of turning 49 later this month, to declare his time as a top-level competitor is over.

He’s still dealing with back and leg issues, stemming from a horror car crash in 2021, and couldn’t say when he’d be back playing.

“The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be,” he said.

“I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we’re playing cards or we’re playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing. That’s never going to leave.

“But as far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, I can’t. For some reason the body just won’t recover like it used to. That’s part of age and part of an athlete’s journey.”