'I'm Still Sitting Here' - Greg Norman Hits Back At Critics As He Hopes For PGA Tour-PIF Deal For The 'Betterment Of The Players'

Greg Norman hopes a final agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) does eventually go through for the sake of the players.

The LIV Golf boss also hit back at his own detractors who said he'd be out of a job, with a message of "I'm still here" as he also insisted his backers in Saudi Arabia are serious about the game of golf.

The PIF is financing the LIV Golf League and opened the purse strings further by sanctioning the huge money move for Jon Rahm recently.

Signing Rahm is also seen as a huge bargaining chip for the PIF in their talks with the PGA Tour - who have been doing their own posturing by continuing negotiations about investment with US-based investors Strategic Sports Group.

The original 'framework agreement' between the PIF and PGA Tour has a deadline of 31 December so time is running out for Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan to settle on a deal.

Norman says he's not involved in any of the PIF-PGA Tour talks but does hope a deal goes through as he reiterated his stance on players being able to earn as much as they can from anywhere they want.

"I'm not involved with that framework agreement at all," Norman told ESPN. "I'm over here looking after LIV and running LIV, but it's great to see private equity coming into the game of golf and investing in the game of golf. 

"I hope it does take place in some way, shape or form. It's to the betterment of the players.

"As a former player, I'm all about the independent players' rights. I'm all about the players being able to earn more money and go where they need to go to earn more money or even stay somewhere to earn more money, and you're seeing that now.

"So, I do hope that some agreement in some way, shape or form comes about, about private equity investing into golf. We've got it. Hopefully, it takes place in other institutions as well."

Norman is comfortable that LIV Golf will stand alone regardless of what a deal looks like, as he hit back at his critics who quickly stated he'd be out of a job when the framework agreement was first signed.

"I'm still sitting here," Norman said. "I still have the support of my investor, and it is what it is. People can say what they want to say without having any knowledge of the outcome."

He's also said that players are lining up to join LIV Golf after Rahm signed up to create his own team in the league.

Norman was again championing his Saudi backers, with the Australian telling the BBC that the negative reaction to LIV was "disappointing" as he insisted they "really care" about the game of golf.

"If you see the way they're embracing the game of golf, they're investing in the game of golf in their country for their people into the future," Norman added.