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Norman thinks PGA Tour will pay game's elite amid pressure from PGL

Ben Jared / PGA TOUR / Getty

The world's top three golfers - Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka - have all insisted they have zero interest in the Premier Golf League, but the legendary Greg Norman doesn't think that will stop the PGA Tour from ensuring its top players don't join the rival circuit.

"What I'm hearing is that the PGA Tour, against all (its) bylaws and governances, is talking about putting aside a $40-million pot for eight players, with $8 million for the top player," Norman told Golf.com's Michael Bamberger. "The PGA Tour is re-tweaking (its) model with the PGL out there. If you're player nine, 10, 11, or 12, I think you'd be pretty pissed off."

Norman isn't sure how the PGA Tour would rank these eight players, and added that this pot would be in addition to FedEx Cup playoff money.

The Premier Golf League made headlines in January 2020 when it proposed to lure the world's 48 best players to play a condensed 18-tournament worldwide schedule from January to September and offer $10 million up for grabs each week. The rival tour is funded by Saudi wealth.

Norman thinks the PGA Tour will take a page out of the PGL's book by adding more international tournaments.

"I also understand that there are four or five European Tour events that the PGA Tour would like to put under its umbrellas and run as world golf events," Norman said, adding that this was also a response to pressure from the PGL.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in January that players would have to decide between the two leagues.

Norman, a two-time major championship winner, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.

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