Throwback: “I love his attitude” – When Greg Norman said he loves Rory McIlroy for keeping it real

Rory McIlroy and Greg Norman haven't been in a great relationship of late. Ever since Norman became CEO of Saudi-backed LIV Golf, Rory has taken shots at him and vice-versa.

However, there was a time when Greg Norman appreciated McIlroy. Back in 2017, Norman was on In Depth with Graham Bensinger where Bensinger asked what he thought of McIlroy. The Aussie veteran said he loved Rory's attitude.

"Look! I love his attitude, you know, I love that he says something and realizes he made a mistake in saying it or the wrong inflection and he'll come out and apologize, you know, he's a human being and I love it," said Norman.

Norman further appreciated McIlroy's behavior in interviews irrespective of the results. He added that he loved how the world No. 1 answered the question in the "right way."

"He has no fear he's gonna step up to the plate and he makes mistakes he can call top of 3-wood he can take a seven he can but you know at the end of the day he walks off of that beautiful Irish smile and does the interview and doesn't blame anybody except he may just had a bad day, you know, and I love that attitude he has" said the LIV Golf Ceo.

Greg Norman on Adam Scott's Masters title

Adam Scott had thanked Greg Norman after his triumph at 2013 Masters

Bensinger also asked the Aussie veteran how he felt when Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters and went on to thank him for inspiring the nation. [Scott won the Masters in 2013]

Norman said it was only the second time he ever had a tear in his eye.

"I was so happy for him because you know I know what it's like to carry that banner of responsibility for your nation Charlie Earp my greatest mentor really said to me 'Greg when you go out and play you represent two things you represent the game of golf and your country', so when you go play and everybody was saying how come an Australian has never won the Masters of all these decades since the tournament's being an inception"

Considering he never won it despite coming so close several times and finally an Australian winning the Masters, it was like checking the box.

Rory-Normal feud

Rory and Greg Norman have been seen taking digs at each other. Since Greg became the CEO of LIV Golf, he has had a tiff with the World golf No. 1.

Rory recently gave an interview to the Sunday Independent where he said he would make his business of becoming "as much of a pain in Norman's a**" as possible.

"Norman wasn’t happy, and we had a pretty testy back-and-forth and he was very condescending, 'Maybe one day you’ll understand,' and all this s***," McIlroy said in interview .

Rory has also said that any negotiations with the Saudi-backed league would only be possible if LIV's CEO Norman stepped down from his position. Greg retorted that he didn't give two hoots about what Rory and Tiger Woods had to say.