Greg Norman has admitted his surprise at Kevin Na’s decision to resign from the PGA Tour.
The LIV Golf CEO reiterated that it’s not necessary for players to quit the Tour to play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series, which starts at Centurion on Thursday, and offered them backing to maintain their rights to play.
“I'm a bit surprised, actually," Norman told the Press Association. "The players don't have to resign from the Tour. That was Kevin's decision for whatever reason he wanted to make it. I respect the man for making a bold decision. I respect the person for wanting to come on board with us, because he knows he has a great opportunity with LIV.
“I'll applaud him for it, but he didn't have to, from our behalf, because LIV would be there (for him). Like I've always said, we're going to back up the players. I'll back up the players as much as I need to, to give them their rights to be able to do whatever they want to do as independent contractors."
Na was one of four top 50 ranked players named in the LIV Golf Invitational Series field, but he is the only one who has come out and announced his resignation from the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour has stated any of its players teeing it up in the LIV International Series will face disciplinary action, but players were not expected to resign, and Na’s statement, released on social media at the weekend, has caught Norman by surprise.
South Korean-born American Na has played on the PGA Tour since 2004, and won just under $38million in prize money. The most recent of his five victories was in the Sony Open in Hawaii in January 2021, for which he received nearly $1.2million.
