The text messages between Greg Norman, Sergio Garcia and others in the lead up to LIV Golf are now available.
Golfers who were part of Norman’s Saudi-backed LIV Tour are facing an indefinite ban by the PGA Tour. A group led by Phil Mickelson has commenced legal action against them for antitrust violations. The Tour claims it does not have the authority or the authority to impose that punishment. The suit also included text messages between Norman Garcia and Garcia. Garcia was a rebel tour member in June.
The text messages reveal Garcia was relaying the PGA Tour’s plans to execute the bans on golfers when the LIV defections occurred.
After sending brief pleasantries on Feb. 11, Garcia got down to business, texting Norman: “I just wanted to see how things are going with the League, cause it seems like a lot of those guys that were loving it and excited about it last week, now are s—ting in their pants.”
Norman responded, “Morning. All went well. I have not heard the white noise of s—ting their pants. Who are you referencing so I can run a check?”
Garcia answered that it was “some of the younger guys” and that he thought “the [PGA] Tour reached out to them and scared them a bit and because they are young, I think it worked.”
Norman maintained that the PGA Tour lacked the legal standing to ban players.
“If you have names I can reach out to them,” he texted. “In regards to the Tour if they were going to ban players they would have already. They know they cannot and will not take any other action than verbal threats. If you can get them (or any player) to do it, they will. [in writing] fantastic. Thanks.”
The text messages in this lawsuit were discovered by Dylan Dethier of Golf Magazine.
Six days after the initial exchange, Garcia informed Norman that the “Tour has told our managers this week that whoever signs with the League, is ban[ned]For life, the Tour! I don’t know how are we gonna get enough good players to join the League under [these] conditions. What do you think.”
Garcia was again assured by Norman that this was not legal.
“They cannot ban you for one day let alone life,” Norman texted. “It is a shallow threat. Ask them to send it to you, or any player. I bet they don’t. We are happy to speak with anyone who is interested to understand why they don’t have any chance of enforcing.
“Who said there would be a lifetime ban? Who? You? Or your agent? What are they saying? It is important to understand these facts. Also I will get something to show you why they cannot.”
Garcia explained his understanding of the events.
“The commissioner had a meeting with the 5 or 6 biggest agencies of golf managers, mine included, and first told them that if any of their players had signed with the [LIV]league that they should go out of the room, and they then talked about what they had learned. [PGA Tour]is going to do going ahead and that whoever signs with [LIV]They would be [banned]From the [PGA Tour]For the rest of your life. I would love to get it in writing but I doubt they will do that,” he wrote.
After an epic meltdown at May’s PGA Tour, Garcia joined LIV Golf.
LIV Golf’s stars golfers have earned more than $100 million each from Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson.
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