Tiger Woods LIV Golf Offer: Why Did the Golf Legend Refuse A Windfall?

According to the American writer George Leonard, “competition is the spice of sports. But if you make spice the whole meal, you will be sick.” And we couldn’t agree more. Competition has always been present in every sport, and it’s there to spice things up. However, some competitions require compromises, and not all athletes are willing to compromise. So, let’s see where Tiger Woods fits into the picture and how much Tiger Woods LIV Golf offer was.

What is the LIV Golf Tour?

According to its website, LIV Golf is a professional golf tour funded by the Public Investment Fund. The Public Investment Fund is Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. This golf tour is one of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman’s endeavors to align Saudi Arabia’s oil image with that of Dubai. Furthermore, it is an initiative to expand the power of Saudi Arabia on a global scale and augment its reputation in the West.

While most people pronounce the Tour’s name as “live,” it actually stands for the Roman Numeral of 54. The name represents the 54 holes that every player has to compete in.

Why Did Tiger Woods Turn Down LIV?

Golf’s most high-profile and popular player, Tiger Woods, added another blow to LIV Golf Series when he turned down the league’s jaw-dropping offer. It seems as if no amount of money is capable of swaying his principles.

Golf’s most popular player has never been a fan of the LIV Tour and openly discussed his disapproval of the tour during the 2022 Open Championship in Scotland. Last July, Woods expressed his disappointment with some players that had “turned their backs” on what made them famous—the PGA Tour. According to Tiger Woods, he doesn’t understand how and why such high-profile players accepted a large amount of money to appear on the LIV Tour. To quote the renowned golfer, “What these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practice? What is the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt? You’re just getting paid a lot of money upfront, playing a few events, and playing 54 holes. They’re playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different.”

Although Woods was kind enough not to name the other prominent players who accepted LIV’s offer, the league did lure some of the sport’s global phenomena such as Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, and Brooks Koepka.

How Much was Tiger Woods Offered to Play LIV?

Similar to what happened to the other players, Woods was offered a large sum of money to compete in the tournament, and how much money did Tiger Woods turn down? He reportedly rejected a whopping offer of $700 to $800 million—a fact confirmed by Greg Norman, LIV’s CEO.

During an interview with FOX News, Tucker Carlson asked Norman whether or not the reported figures were accurate. Greg Norman responded and said that the offer was “somewhere in that neighborhood.” He also added that the figure was already established way before the league appointed him CEO. Additionally, he claimed that the LIV Golf group approached Tiger Woods prior to his appointment to his current position. Such was how the Tiger Woods LIV Golf offer transpired.

As described by LIV’s CEO, “Tiger is a needle mover. Of course, you got to look at the best of the best.” Hence, LIV gambled on giving the best offer to the best player. Unfortunately, he turned them down without any hesitation.

Why is The LIV Tour Controversial?

This Saudi Arabian-backed, multimillion-dollar LIV tour sparked controversy when it started a competition with the PGA Tour. The controversy erupted when enraged golfers and supporters voiced their opposition to the league due to Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights oppression and violence. The murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, and Saudi’s chaos-causing land and naval blockade in Yemen ignited outrage within the golf community. Additionally, people continue to lambast LIV for its alleged possible ties with terrorist activities. The activist group—9/11 Justice—protested near the Trump Bedminister golf course in New Jersey where LIV’s most recent event took place.

In June this year, the PGA organization suspended its 17 members who accepted their rival league’s offer and appeared in its inaugural season. It added that golf players who took part in LIV’s tour are no longer welcome in any PGA tour event. However, several LIV players opposed to the new rules, but PGA was quick to dismiss the oppositions.

Did Tiger Woods Make The Right Decision?

As mentioned, competition is the spice of a sport, but not at the expense of others. Tiger Woods turned down LIV’s offer and stood his ground. He showed that principles and morals are priceless, some of the things that money can’t buy. Tiger Woods is a truly a sports influencer who’s worth emulating.