LIV Golf, the breakaway golf tour backed by Saudi Arabia attempting to position itself as a major competitor to the PGA Tour, apparently tried to convince the biggest name in golf to join the fold.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman told Kent Babb of the Washington Post (h/t Joel Beall of Golf Digest) that Woods was offered a deal that was "mind-blowingly enormous; we're talking about high nine digits."

Beall noted PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said players will be suspended or perhaps even banned if they joined LIV Golf.

The PGA Tour also denied releases for players to participate in the rival league's inaugural event in London, which starts Thursday and conflicts with the RBC Canadian Open.

Woods wasn't the only member of proverbial golf royalty approached by the Saudi-backed league.

Jack Nicklaus, who holds the record for major championships at 18 and hosts the Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour's schedule,

told Michael Bamberger of the Fire Pit Collective he was "offered something in excess of $100 million by the Saudis, to do the job probably similar to the one that Greg [Norman] is doing."

Norman told Babb that Nicklaus is a "hypocrite" who previously suggested that LIV Golf would be "good for our game."

Norman also said Rory McIlroy is someone who has been "brainwashed" by the PGA Tour "monopolists" after the four-time major champion told reporters the LIV Golf field is nothing to "jump up and down about."

That field will include Phil Mickelson, who announced he signed with the rival league even though he still intends to play in majors: