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Greg Norman’s ‘Brainwashed’ Comment Lit New Fire Under Feud with Rory McIlroy

The rift between Rory McIlroy and Greg Norman started in February 2020 with rumors of a “Premier Golf League” backed by money from Saudi Arabia. Thus the controversial LIV.

McIlroy was the first player to say he was not interested and wanted to be on the right side of history. Norman reportedly wasn’t happy, and the two of them had a tense exchange where McIlroy says Norman was “very condescending.”

In April, McIlroy watched an ESPN documentary on Norman’s downfall in the 1996 Masters, and he messaged Norman, “Hopefully, it reminds everyone of what a great golfer you were.” McIlroy says he was returning the favor when Norman once sent him a kind note after losing a four-shot lead in the 2011 Masters. McIlroy called it an “olive branch.”

They spoke amicably, and that could have been the end of it.

But a few weeks later, Norman spoke with The Washington Post and said McIlroy was “brainwashed” by the PGA Tour.

McIlroy says the PGA Tour is lucky Norman is in charge of LIV because if they “had found someone less polarizing, LIV could have made more inroads.”

In return for Norman calling him “brainwashed,” McIlroy said over the weekend, “I thought, you know what? I’m going to make it my business now to be as much pain in his arse as possible.”