In an interview published by The Telegraph last week, former LIV Golf Commissioner, world number one, and two-time major champion Greg Norman took aim at Nick Faldo – the man who overcame a six-stroke deficit to the Aussie in the final round of the 1996 Masters.
Norman claimed that Faldo had been unfairly critical of both Norman and LIV Golf upon its arrival, and that the “nasty” nature of the comments, combined with Faldo’s relative lack of knowledge of LIV’s side of the story, had led to him losing all respect for the six-time major-winning Englishman.
“Nick said some things about me during my time at LIV, some really nasty things,” Norman said. “I don’t have any respect for someone who gives their opinion on something in that sort of manner when they don’t know both sides.
“Come on, we have a history, he could have called me and asked for the other side of the story, and I’d have gladly given it. And if he still hadn’t agreed then fine – his opinion and as he knows the facts, he would have been entitled to say anything he likes. Happy days.
“But just to sound off? Like I said, no respect for him.”
Faldo, working for Sky Sports at Augusta National, opted to hold his peace until after the conclusion of the tournament, but now that it’s over, he has hit back at Norman’s criticisms.
In a lengthy statement released by Faldo Enterprises, issued on behalf of Faldo himself, it was revealed that Faldo had reached out to Norman in an attempt to hear both sides of the story but that Norman had refused.
Included in the statement are screenshots of a number of text messages between the pair, first from 2020 when Faldo wished Norman a speedy recovery after the latter had been hospitalised with COVID-19, but secondly, and more interestingly, from November 2022 when Faldo again reached out and requested that Norman join him on his new YouTube show.
“Thanks for thinking of me for this,” a reply attributed to Norman came just over a week later. “I think we both can agree that our relationship over the years hasn’t always been the best, and we don’t see eye to eye on everything, so probably best to pass on this for both of us.
“Good luck with your project.”
Faldo responded with two video messages, explaining that LIV was not intended to be the sole focus of the show, rather it was the two being ‘fellow champions’ and that their differences, which Faldo labelled as them being “chalk and cheese” would only make it more interesting.
“We’ve had our battles through the years, so I think that would be interesting to talk about,” he said. “And with LIV, of course we will have a difference in opinion, and we won’t see eye to eye, but it’s just our opinions.
“It’s not to corner you in any way, I’ll be fascinated by how you got to that and where we are now, and what you think is the way forward for global golf. That’s the tone of the whole thing.”
“We will control the narrative of this,” he went on to say in the second video, suggesting that the interview take place in December 2022.
“Number two, we were inside the ropes. There is no journalist that had the right sense of what we do, feel, think, or that fully understands what our life was like.
“And the third point, if we do this, the world of golf will listen to what you have to say.”
Whether Norman had any further response is unclear, but the statement concluded by suggesting that Faldo had closed the chapter and moved on.
“Given the passage of time and the changes that have since taken place within the game of golf, Sir Nick does not consider that discussion a relevant one to reopen.
“Accordingly, no further comment will be made.”
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