Tiger Woods turned down $700-$800 million provide to hitch Saudi-backed LIV Golf collection, says CEO Greg Norman

The controversial tour has attracted some large names from the golfing world to depart the established PGA Tour and the DP World Tour to take part for huge sums of cash.

Main winners Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Charl Schwartzel and Martin Kaymer have all joined the breakaway enterprise, which has supplied gamers large cash to hitch.

The LIV Golf collection is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Funding Fund (PIF) -- a sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia -- and has pledged to award $250 million in complete prize cash.

Nonetheless, it has led to criticism from many gamers, together with Rory McIlroy and Woods, that gamers have deserted golf's conventional arrange and accepted cash from a rustic with a dismal human rights document.

Earlier than July's Open at St. Andrews, Scotland, Woods mentioned he disagreed with the gamers who had left.

"I believe that what they've achieved is that they've turned their again on what has allowed them to get to this place," the 15-time main winner mentioned.

"A few of these gamers might not ever get an opportunity to play in main championships. That may be a chance. We do not know that for certain but. It is as much as all the most important championship our bodies to make that willpower. However that may be a chance, that some gamers won't ever, ever get an opportunity to play in a serious championship, by no means get an opportunity to expertise this proper right here, stroll down the fairways at Augusta Nationwide.

"However what these gamers are doing for assured cash, what's the incentive to apply? What's the incentive to go on the market and earn it within the filth? You are simply getting paid some huge cash up entrance and enjoying just a few occasions and enjoying 54 holes. They're enjoying blaring music and have all these atmospheres which might be totally different."

Woods added: "I simply do not see how that transfer is constructive in the long run for lots of those gamers, particularly if the LIV group does not get world-ranking factors and the most important championships change their standards for getting into the occasions.

"It might be unhappy to see a few of these younger children by no means get an opportunity to expertise it and expertise what we have an opportunity to expertise and stroll these hallowed grounds and play in these championships."

Woods even went as far to criticize Norman himself for his function within the splinter tour. "Greg has achieved some issues that I do not assume is in the most effective curiosity of our sport, and we're coming again to in all probability essentially the most historic and conventional place in our sport."

On Sunday, Henrik Stenson received the third occasion of LIV Golf's debut season at Bedminster, New Jersey.

Almost two weeks after he was stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy for becoming a member of the collection, the 46-year-old Swede shot 11-under par on the Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Bedminster to win $4 million.

He accepted the trophy alongside former US President Donald Trump, who was current all through the three-day competitors and who owns the course.