Tiger Woods was offered a package worth between $700million and $800m to compete in the LIV Golf Invitational Series, according to the competition's chief executive Greg Norman.

Woods, a 15-time major winner, has been an advocate for the PGA Tour, which has been embroiled in a tussle with the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway league.

LIV Golf held its latest event last weekend in Bedminster, New Jersey, with Henrik Stenson – who was removed as Ryder Cup captain after deciding to join the new tour – claiming victory in his first outing.

Norman previously said that Woods had been offered a "high nine digits" sum to join LIV Golf, which has so far been unable to attract many of the world's best, though has snagged big names such as Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson.

In an interview with Fox News with Tucker Carlson that was broadcast on Monday in the United States, Norman confirmed that Woods had been offered in the region of $700m to $800m.

"That number was out there before I became CEO. So that number has been out there, yes," Norman said.

"And, look, Tiger is a needle-mover and of course you have to look at the best of the best.

"So they had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. So, yes, that number was somewhere in that neighbourhood."

Two-time major winner Norman has become a controversial figure within the sport, and was barred from attending the Celebration of Champions or the Champions' Dinner prior to The 150th Open Championship at St Andrews last month.

Woods failed to make the cut at that tournament, but backed the decision to disinvite Norman from the celebrations, saying: "Greg has done some things that I don't think are in the best interest of our game, and we're coming back to probably the most historic and traditional place in our sport. I believe it's the right thing."

Yet the Australian is unperturbed by any possible damage to his reputation.

"I really don't care," said Norman, who claimed he is unaware why LIV Golf has caused such uproar.

"I just love the game so much and I want to grow the game of golf and we at LIV see that opportunity not just for the men but for the women."

Record prize money will be up for grabs on the PGA Tour next season amid the growing threat of the breakaway LIV Golf series.

Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson are among the big names who have defected from the PGA Tour to sign hugely lucrative deals with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. 

The PGA Tour on Monday revealed its 2022-23 schedule, which will see prize money for the 43 tournaments they run at $428.6million.

Bonus pools will total $145m, including $75m for the FedExCup. There will be eight invitational events spread throughout the schedule.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship and TOUR Championship will be the three FedExCup Playoffs events.

Just 70 players will earn a spot in the first Playoffs event in a change to the qualification criteria.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said: "We've heard from our fans and the overwhelming sentiment was that they wanted more consequences for both the FedExCup Regular Season and the Playoffs, and to further strengthen events that traditionally feature top players competing head-to-head.

"We feel strongly we've accomplished all of these objectives and more, creating a cadence of compelling drama for every tournament throughout the season.

"Each week has its own identity and purpose, and we're set up for an exciting 2022-23 campaign as we transition into a calendar season in 2024 that will include a number of new and innovative competitive aspects in the fall."

Henrik Stenson could not resist taking a dig at his Ryder Cup predicament after winning his debut event on the breakaway golf tour at LIV Golf Bedminster, saying "I guess we can agree I played like a captain".

Stenson – who was sensationally stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy after announcing he would leave the PGA Tour – was a wire-to-wire winner in the 54-hole event, shooting a seven-under 64 in his opening round, before following it with a pair of 69s.

He finished two strokes ahead of Matthew Wolff and Dustin Johnson at nine under, with Carlos Ortiz (eight under) and Patrick Reed (seven under) rounding out the top-five, and a further three-stroke buffer to sixth.

Speaking immediately after sinking his winning putt, Stenson said it was pleasing to perform so well after such a hectic couple of weeks, but only after taking a shot at those in charge of his Ryder Cup ban.

"Yeah, I guess we can agree I played like a captain," he said, before acknowledging Ian Poulter is the captain of his Majesticks GC team.

"It's been a busy 10 days, and I'm extremely proud that I managed to focus as well as I did. I was a little wobbly coming home here – I haven't finished the deal in a couple of years with any wins – so it's always a little added pressure when you're up in contention, but I did well."

For the win, Stenson pocketed a $4.375million cheque, as well as a $375,000 bonus for his team finishing in second-place, only trailing Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces GC, which included Pat Perez at five over.

Stenson is understood to have accepted a signing-on fee to join LIV Golf in the region of $50 million, according to ESPN's report.

Henrik Stenson was victorious at the LIV Golf Bedminster tournament on Sunday, his debut event on the controversial breakaway tour.

Sweden's former Open champion completed his 54 holes on 11 under par, putting him two clear of Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolff.

Stenson was stripped of his status as Europe's Ryder Cup captain after it was confirmed he was among the newest recruits to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit.

He entered the third and final round with a three-stroke lead over Johnson, and posted three birdies and one bogey for a two-under 69 to get the job done.

Johnson, who was three under on Sunday, had to settle for matching the overall score of Wolff who put together the equal-best round of the tournament with his seven-under 64, finishing at nine under for the weekend.

Carlos Ortiz was alone in fourth at eight under, and Patrick Reed had sole possession of fifth at seven under.

With Johnson and Reed both collecting top-five finishes, and Talor Gooch being part of the five-man group at four under, their 4 Aces GC – along with fourth member Pat Perez (five over) – comfortably won the team competition, eight strokes clear of Stenson's Majesticks GC.

Brooks Koepka finished 11th at three under, alongside Martin Kaymer, while Ian Poulter was a shot back, and Charl Schwartzel snuck into the top 20 at even par.

It was a tournament to forget for Bryson DeChambeau (five over) and Phil Mickelson (six over), although Mickelson did close his weekend with his best round, shooting even par.

Tony Finau became the first player since Brendon Todd in 2019 to win back-to-back PGA Tour events, taking advantage of the friendly conditions to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic by five shots.

Finau – who entered the final round with a four-stroke lead along with Taylor Pendrith – made six birdies and one bogey in a closing five-under 67 at Detroit Golf Club. It was his only dropped shot of the tournament, after just three bogeys last weekend in his 3M Open triumph.

The 32-year-old finished on an incredible 26 under, with Patrick Cantlay, Pendrith and Cameron Young tied for second place.

Prior to that 3M Open success, Finau had only two wins for his career, and one since the 2015-16 season, with the notoriously mediocre putter figuring things out on the greens. 

He entered the week as the 142nd best putter on the tour this season, but was the 13th best in that discipline for the tournament among players to make the cut, according to Data Golf's strokes gained stat. 

It made a devastating combination when combined with his strong tee-to-green stats – clearly the best of the week, gaining 3.44 strokes on the field in that area, 0.73 more than any other player.

Speaking to the CBS after stepping off the 18th green, Finau said it feels extremely rewarding to have his hard work culminate in such an incredible fortnight.

"It feels amazing, last week was amazing," he said. 

"I was actually quite disappointed in my finish last week, and all I wanted to do this week was show that I am a winner and a champion. I think I did that today.

"The work has been relentless, and to be able to just get rewarded for it… you never know in this game, but you keep your head up, put one foot after the other and good things can happen. That's what's happened the last couple weeks for me."

Pendrith started the day as co-leader, before finishing as one of 16 players to shoot 72 or worse.

A 72 saw Pendrith's challenge fade, while Cantlay signed for a 66 and Young carded a 68.

Germany's Stephan Jaeger finished alone in fifth at 20 under, America's Taylor Moore was sixth as the only player at 19 under, and South Korea's Kim Jooh-yung tied the tournament record with a nine-under 63 to shoot up the leaderboard into outright seventh at 18 under.

Wyndham Clark and J.J. Spaun both shot 65s to finish tied for eighth at 17 under.

Sean Crocker said he knocked the door "clean off its hinges" after going wire-to-wire to win his first DP World Tour title

The American led through the first three rounds of the Hero Open at Fairmount St Andrews and he held off the challenge of Eddie Pepperell to triumph by a single shot on Sunday.

Pepperell carded a brilliant seven-under 65 to go back into the clubhouse on 21 under to apply the pressure, but Crocker was able to hold his nerve.

Having started the season by missing the cut in eight of the first nine tournaments he competed in – and retiring from the other one – the 25-year-old led by one at the turn and holed three birdies to start the back nine in fine fashion.

That gave him the breathing space required to avoid a play-off, as he parred each of the final five holes to card a 68 and claim a hard-earned triumph.

"Winning a golf tournament is not easy. And Eddie did not make that easy for me either," Crocker said. "After the three-putt par on the 15th I kind of thought I still had a little bit of room but they're not easy holes coming down that stretch.

"I thought I could make it pretty easy – it's a par five coming in – but I don't think it's ever easy to make a par to win a golf tournament. That was pretty special.

"I was nervous. I've felt pressure like that before but it's my first pro tournament win. That putt looked like it was 20 feet, that hole looked like it was half-an-inch wide. 

"It's awesome. It just shows you that you just don't know what this game is going to bring you.

"We go out there every day trying our hardest and we can play terrible for a long time and then all of a sudden you have a week like this where every bounce seemed to go my way.

"I hope I keep putting myself in this position. That door has been locked shut for me for almost five years. To go wire-to-wire I think I knocked the door clean off its hinges, which is nice."

Pepperell, who had eight birdies in his final round but was ultimately left to lament a bogey on the ninth, finished alone in second, two shots clear of David Law and Adrian Otaegui.

The 65th Annual Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship will be held in Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands from August 1-5, 2022, at the Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club, the Turks & Caicos Islands Golf Association has announced.

The championship that is being hosted in conjunction with the Caribbean Golf Association has already received commitments from nine Caribbean-member countries to send their 10 best amateur players to vie for the coveted Hoerman Cup – Men’s Division and George Teale Trophy – Ladies’ Division, in what has traditionally been a highly competitive three-round medal play event.

Competing this year will be teams from the Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands and USVI.

“We look forward to this event being a springboard for the fundraising and promotion of golf within the Turks & Caicos Islands for an enhanced junior development program,” said Fraser Dods, TCIGA President.

The headline sponsor is the recently opened Ritz-Carlton, which will provide luxe accommodation for the visiting players.

Dave Douglas, Director of Golf, said, “The Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club would like to congratulate the Turks & Caicos Islands Golf Association, President Fraser Dods and his committee for their effort and vision required to host this 65th Championship. We are delighted to be their host venue for the third time over the last 23 years”.     

Tony Finau posted the equal-best score from the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Saturday, with his seven-under 65 pulling him even with Taylor Pendrith after entering the day one stroke off the pace.

Finau and Pendrith were co-leaders after the first round, and after building a multi-stroke buffer from the rest of the field after 36 holes, they added to it again to finish at 21 under – four strokes clear of Cameron Young in third-place.

Each player showed a different skill set, with Pendrith displaying a strong feel in his ability to finish holes – posting the seventh-best strokes gained figure from Data Golf on approach shots (2,07 strokes gained) and the 11th-best with the putter (1.98).

Finau, on the other hand, shined with his driver, finishing second in strokes gained off the tee (1.98) and third in tee-to-green (3.97) while being just average around the greens.

After winning this past weekend's 3M Championship, Finau now has a chance to win back-to-back PGA Tour events for the first time in his career, while Pendrith is hunting his first PGA Tour victory.

Young was one of five players to match Finau's 65, and he sits alone in third at 17 under, with Germany's Stephan Jaeger in fourth at 16 under, and Patrick Cantlay rounds out the top-five as the only player at 15 under.

Scott Stallings is alone at 14 under, with South Korea's Kim Si-woo and Canada's Adam Svensson in the groups at 13 under and 12 under respectively to complete the top-10.

Reigning champion of this event Cam Davis also shot 65 to fly up the leaderboard, tied for 16th at 10 under after finishing his second round right on the cut-line of three under.

It was the opposite story for compatriot Adam Scott, who entered the day in a strong position at nine under and proceeded to shoot a 78, finishing as by far the worst putter on Saturday, losing 5.62 strokes on the greens.

Henrik Stenson carded a two-under-par 69 to retain his lead after the second round of LIV Golf Bedminster, his first event on the controversial tour.

The Swede – stripped of Europe's Ryder Cup captaincy over his defection from the DP World Tour – showed steely focus on the fairways on Saturday at Trump National Golf Club.

The 2016 Open Championship winner moved clear of first-round co-leader Patrick Reed to top the standings outright at nine under, rallying after a double bogey on his third hole.

Stenson said: "I was hanging in there. I didn't feel I had my best stuff today, certainly a lot less than we played with yesterday."

Former Masters winner Reed slipped to a tie for third with a two-over 73, but he nevertheless retained a share of the lead in the team standings. Reed's 4 Aces GC team-mate Dustin Johnson moved second in the individual standings with a 69 to sit three shots off the lead at six under.

The 4 Aces advantage was cemented by a super round from Talor Gooch, who carded a best-of-the-day 64 to join Reed on five under through 36 holes, with Carlos Ortiz on the same mark.

It proved a miserable day at the office for Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau as they posted 73 and 74 respectively, with DeChambeau carding six bogeys in his round. He sits tied for 28th, with Mickelson in a share of 40th place on six over – a full 15 shots behind Stenson.

Phil Mickelson says he was not distracted by being heckled before teeing off in the LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster on Friday.

Mickelson stepped back from the tee after a spectator shouted "Do it for the Saudi Royal Family" at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.

The six-time major champion was one of the highest profile players to sign a hugely lucrative deal with the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV Golf series, leading to him being suspended from the PGA Tour.

Mickelson was way down the leaderboard in a tie for 43rd after shooting a four-over 75 in the opening round of the third LIV Golf event in New Jersey, where debutant Henrik Stenson shares the lead with Patrick Reed on seven under.

The 52-year-old insisted he was not affected by the words of a vocal spectator before he took his first shot.

When asked if he was affected by being heckled, Mickelson said: "No. I had a really good day. The people here have always been great and treated me well.

"I had a really good day with the fans and with Henrik playing well, there was a lot of good things going on. I'm just a little frustrated with my game to be honest.

He added: "I'm just frustrated because I expect more of myself, so I'm gonna work until I get it fixed."

Asked again about the heckler, he replied: "I've always enjoyed playing in this area and we had a great day thereafter, I thought it was a good day all around, so I didn't really think much of it."

Stenson made a great start to his first LIV Golf event and was happy to be playing again after losing the European Ryder Cup captaincy due to his defection.

The Swede said: "It's nice to be out there playing golf, and yeah, of course it’s been a busy couple of weeks and not the most fun, but we keep our head down and focus on the golf."

Taylor Pendrith is heading into the weekend at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in great touch, following up his equal-best first round 64 with Friday's second-best score of 65 to head into the clubhouse at 15 under.

Pendrith was the field's best performer off the tee in his second trip around the course, gaining 2.28 strokes according to strokes gained data, collecting eight birdies and one bogey, including birdies on all four of the course's par-fives.

He was co-leader with Tony Finau after 18 holes, and Finau managed to stay in touch with a strong 66 to sit one shot off the pace. In uncharacteristic fashion, Finau was a top-five performer with the putter (3.02 strokes gained).

In outright third is Lee Hodges, two strokes further back after his second consecutive 66, and there is another two-stroke gap to the three-man group tied for fourth.

At 10 under is Russell Henley, Stewart Cink and Cameron Young, with the latter shooting the round of the day with his nine-under 63.

Young's incredible day included seven birdies and an eagle, posting the most strokes gained from tee-to-green (5.72), while also being third in approach shots (3.02) and 11th with his putter (2.35).

A strong international contingent is in the group with Patrick Cantlay at nine under rounding out the top-10, including Australia's Adam Scott, Germany's Stephan Jaeger and South Korea's Kim Si-woo.

England's Callum Tarren is one further back at eight under, compatriot Matt Wallace is at seven under, and fellow Englishman Danny Willett is at six under.

Reigning champion of this event Cam Davis finished right on the cut-line at three under, with Kevin Kisner and Davis Riley narrowly missing out.

New signing Henrik Stenson is tied for the lead after the first round of LIV Golf Bedminster, shooting a seven-under 64 in his first event since committing to the controversial tour.

Stenson – who was stripped of his position as Ryder Cup captain due to his decision to leave the PGA Tour – collected eight birdies and one bogey, and helped his team Majesticks GC to second in the team standings at 10 under.

Tied for the individual lead is Patrick Reed, who also leads the team standings by one stroke along with his 4 Aces GC teammates Dustin Johnson, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch.

Alone in third place is Thailand's 23-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai at five under, and he is one stroke ahead of both Johnson and Carlos Ortiz, rounding out the top-five.

Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter, Brooks Koepka and Charles Howell III are all one shot further back at three under, while Lee Westwood headlines the group at two under, and Sergio Garcia is in the logjam at one under.

Bryson DeChambeau finished at even par after a late double-bogey, Louis Oosthuizen is at two over after posting a seven on the par-three seventh hole, and there are only three players below Phil Mickelson after he struggled to four over with five bogeys and one birdie.