There was a time in the not-so distant past when Rory McIlroy praise for Greg Norman felt as realistic a concept as the Open Championship taking place on the moon. In the latest sign of golf’s thawing relations, McIlroy used the aftermath of his opening round at the Dubai Desert Classic to give credit to the outgoing LIV chief executive.

After fronting LIV’s disruption plan for golf, Norman has been replaced by Scott O’Neill. “We changed the game forever,” said the Australian in a statement confirming he was stepping down on Wednesday. “I started this journey more than 30 years ago, knowing in my heart and mind that the game of golf and its professional players were undervalued, delivering a product that felt stagnant.”

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