Greg Norman has praised Justin Thomas for 'understanding' LIV Golf - in an apparent subtle dig at Rory McIlroy 's disdain for the contentious Saudi-funded venture.
LIV CEO Norman has confirmed that world No. 8 Thomas has held detailed talks over a move - but ultimately snubbed a controversial switch to the mega-money invitational series. McIlroy, meanwhile, has been an ardent critic of the LIV series that has fuelled a civil war within professional golf.
The emergence of LIV has caused a huge division in the sport, with the series poaching a host of star names including Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. But McIlroy believes LIV is damaging for the game and has called for Norman to 'exit stage left' so the 'adults' can negotiate a peace settlement between the tours.
Norman insists that, despite his feud with McIlroy, the world No.1 would still be welcomed at LIV - should he make the most unlikely of U-turns and turn his back on the status quo. But LIV's firebrand was quick to point out that other elite players such as Thomas have been more understanding of what the series is hoping to achieve.
“Our door is open for everybody,” Norman told bunkered. “We’re not the PGA Tour. We’re not like that. We exist for the players, so we will always have an open door, whether that’s for Rory or Jordan Spieth or Justin Thomas or whoever.
“We talked to JT. Me and another member of my team, we sat down with him and gave him the full presentation and, if you notice, he’s not said much negative about what we’re doing, presumably because he knows it and understands it.”
Whilst Norman has often been derided for his disruptive antics, he insists golf icons McIlroy and Tiger Woods are the ones acting immaturely by calling for him to resign as LIV's CEO and commissioner.
“Rory and Tiger have no idea what they’re talking about," he claimed. "None whatsoever. I have got the full support from my chairman. 100 percent. 1000 per cent. There has never been one thing to suggest otherwise.
"But I know what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to bait me to draw me into a public back and forth with them and I’m not going to go down that childish path."
