PGA Tour star learns from Sergio Garcia and 'will never join LIV' despite riches
Niklas Norgaard has made a solid start to life on the PGA Tour after earning his card through the DP World Tour, and he insists riches on offer in LIV Golf are not tempting him
PGA Tour newbie Niklas Norgaard has said that he will "never join LIV Golf" despite its lucrative offers. And he has confirmed where his true ambitions lie – participating in major championships.
Fresh off a triumphant 2024 stint on the DP World Tour, where he claimed victory at the Betfred Masters and landed 11th in the Race To Dubai, Norgaard secured his PGA Tour card for 2025. He's already made a great first impression, nabbing his first top-five finish at the Myrtle Beach Classic a fortnight ago.
Having just experienced his first major at the PGA Championship, where he didn't make it past the cut at Quail Hollow, the 32-year-old Dane has developed a hunger for more significant pursuits.
With eyes set on flying the European flag at the Ryder Cup, Norgaard said that his drive isn't fuelled by financial gain, and the idea of joining the controversial LIV series is of no interest to him. LIV Golf, backed by Saudi Arabian wealth, is dishing out £18million purses per event, promising profitable with its smaller 54-player fields.
However, the league doesn't hold an Official World Golf Ranking endorsement, which severely cuts down the chances for its players to qualify for majors – exemplified by Sergio Garcia's absence from the US Open next month for the first time in over two decades.
Speaking to Bunkered, Nordaard said: "That's why I would never choose to go to LIV, no matter the money. Because what has kept me going all the time has just been I want to play majors.
"I want to play Ryder Cup. I want to play against the best on the best courses. It took me six years just to get to the DP World Tour and, once you're there, you really have to love golf to keep going."
Norgaard accepts that others may not share his perspective on the sport – with Tom McKibbin, for example, securing one of 10 PGA Tour cards awarded by the DP World Tour in November, before opting instead to join Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team. Despite being ranked 99th in the world and making five cuts in nine PGA Tour starts this year, Norgaard insists it isn't the prize money that fuels his ambition.
He added: "Everybody is playing for something different, and, you know, motivated by something different. And for some it's money.
"For some it's just golf, and some it's a third thing. But no, I'm not surprised, because I get it. It's such a big amount of money you can get, and you can secure the rest of your life.
"For me, the joy comes from knowing I've improved and achieved something significant each day, not from my earnings. When I have really good days, it's when I go to bed at night believing that I've done something worthwhile; that I've become better today. That's what I seek in majors."
Since making the move to LIV in 2022, Garcia has seen incredibly limited success in terms of winning events. The 45-year-old achieved his first victory under the banner with a play-off win over Anirban Lahiri at LIV Golf Andalucia last July, before taking his total tally to two triumphs by winning the organisation's Hong Kong event in March.
This pales when compared to the 11 wins that the Spaniard achieved on the PGA Tour and the 16 he saw on the European Tour, as well as his 2017 Masters win.
Garcia's best finish at the US Open came in the form of T3 back in 2005 alongside Tim Clark and Mark Hensby. But he will not have the opportunity to best that when the major plays out at Oakmont Country club in a matter of months.
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