LIV Golf: Greg Norman praised for putting ‘a*** on the line’ to revolutionise golf
Australia’s LIV Golf stars have paid tribute to Greg Norman for his role in revolutionising the men’s professional game as the Saudi-backed circuit prepares to replace him as the league’s top official.
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Australia’s LIV Golf stars have paid tribute to Greg Norman for his role in revolutionising the men’s professional game as the Saudi-backed circuit prepares to replace him as the league’s top official.
Multiple sources at the Australian Open confirmed to News Corp Norman has been relieved of his role of LIV Golf chief executive and commissioner, more than two years after fronting the rebel circuit which spent billions of dollars poaching PGA Tour stars.
British Open champion Cameron Smith was the biggest Australian to defect to LIV Golf, heading up a franchise which includes countrymen Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Matt Jones.
Norman has a contract with LIV until August next year, but his long-term future has been clouded for months as talks between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour over a new world order continue at a glacial pace.
The parties announced a stunning truce in June last year, and have been working towards consummating a formal deal.
Former NBA and NHL executive Scott O’Neil is expected to assume Norman’s role, according to multiple overseas reports.
LIV Golf is yet to confirm whether Norman will step down from the role, but it’s widely expected he will have some ongoing role within the organisation.
A tranche of documents released during US Senate hearings into the PIF-PGA Tour framework deal last year revealed the PGA Tour wanted a side agreement Norman would not be retained by LIV.
Leishman said he was unaware of Norman’s status, but was quick to claim golfers around the world have profited from his crash-or-crash through style, which has forced the PGA Tour to prise more funding from investors and increase purses for its tournaments.
“The players have benefited from it, whether you’re on LIV or not on LIV,” Leishman said.
“He put his arse on the line to get this started. Love him or hate him, but as a golfer he’s certainly helped our lifestyle.
“I think he’s worked very hard on it and he’s given a few years of his life to it. I’d hate to think how many hours a week he works and how many hours he flies. LIV has been going for two-and-a-half years, but how long before that [he was working], who knows? He’s sacrificed a lot and he’s probably been compensated pretty well [too].
“I hope he stays involved in some way.”
Norman has long been an advocate of a global world tour and LIV Golf’s Adelaide event has been the best attended of its circuit.
More than 90,000 people flocked to Grange Golf Club over three days this year as Smith’s Ripper GC won the teams title.
The Adelaide tournament will be played in February next year.
When asked about Norman, Herbert said: “I don’t know very much about what’s going on and I don’t ask a lot of questions to be honest.
“I would imagine Greg will be involved with LIV for a long time. In what role? I don’t know. [But] he’ll be there somewhere. I just don’t know what kind of capacity.”
Norman was instrumental in luring former world No.1 Jon Rahm to be LIV Golf’s major signing last year, but player movement between the tours has stalled while the parties try to end the sport’s civil war.
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Originally published as LIV Golf: Greg Norman praised for putting ‘a*** on the line’ to revolutionise golf
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