Greg Norman has sensationally left the door open for staunch critic Rory McIlroy to join LIV Golf.
World No.1 McIlroy has been vocal in his criticism of the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit - and CEO Norman - with a civil war continuing to rip golf apart going into 2023.
The Northern Irishman insisted recently that Norman must 'exit stage left' if relations between the PGA and DP World Tours and LIV were to be healed for the good of the sport.
Despite initial reports of Norman being replaced, that appears unlikely and the Australian has now seemingly teased McIlroy further by saying he would be welcome to complete a remarkable U-turn.
Asked if he would allow McIlroy to join, Norman told Bunkered : "Our door is open for everybody, 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."
Norman did however go on to hit out at McIlroy and ally Tiger Woods, who has also called on the former golf star to step down from his position.
“Rory and Tiger have no idea what they’re talking about. 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," he said.
"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.
“I’m totally confident, totally proud and totally committed to this job and that is building out LIV Golf in perpetuity and giving players and fans another kind of golf to enjoy. And what you’re already seeing is that LIV is a leader. The PGA Tour and DP World Tour, they’re followers."
Norman also claimed he had spoken with Justin Thomas, who has also dodged a move to the breakaway circuit and hailed the American for not following McIlroy's lead.
He added: “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.”
