LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil looking to tap into success of Adelaide tournament

The Australian leg of LIV Golf in Adelaide has set the benchmark for the breakaway golf league, according to its new global CEO, who’s on the hunt for more corporate and media deals.

LIV Golf global chief executive Scott O’Neil at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide. Picture: Kelly Barnes

The Australian leg of LIV Golf has set the benchmark for the breakaway golf league, according to its new global chief executive, who is on a mission to attract more corporate sponsors and secure more television deals in a bid to replicate the success of the local tournament in other parts of the world.

Speaking to The Australian on the eve of the LIV Golf tournament at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Scott O’Neil said the tournament had proven an economic boon for South Australia after capturing the attention of golf fans across the country.

Ticket sales for this weekend’s event are on track to break records, and corporate sponsors have continued to throw their support behind the tournament, which enters its third year under a four-year deal initially struck between the South Australian government and the Saudi-financed league in 2022.

Mr O’Neil took over from inaugural LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman in January after a two-year stint with London-based Merlin Entertainments – the operator of aquariums in Sydney and Melbourne, Madame Tussauds Sydney and Legoland Melbourne.

The American sports executive, who previously led franchises including the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New York Rangers, said media partnerships were key to growing the LIV Golf brand, which continued to attract corporate interest despite uncertainty over its future relationship with the PGA Tour.

Cameron Smith practices on Wednesday ahead of Liv Golf Adelaide at The Grange Golf Club. Picture: Getty Images

“Media has carried sports leagues forever, and while the landscape is changing quite a bit … we had almost 3 million viewers in Australia alone last year, which is pretty amazing. Building up that network is critically important,” he said.

“We’ve got to bring more corporate support into it, and while you have incredible corporate support in Adelaide, there’s certainly more to be done around the world.”

BYD, SkyCity, Ladbrokes, Thomas Foods and Accor Hotel Group are among the corporate brands supporting this weekend’s event, while the Seven Network will exclusively broadcast all 14 of this year’s LIV Golf tournaments after securing a multi-year extension in January.

A new television deal with Fox Sports was announced by LIV last week as it looks to build its profile in the lucrative US market, where the rival PGA Tour is centred.

Negotiations between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV Golf, and the PGA Tour about a formal tie-up have been ongoing since a “framework agreement” was unveiled in June 2023, with the PIF prepared to make a $US1.5bn ($2.4bn) investment.

Donald Trump, whose Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami hosts an event on the LIV Golf calendar, met with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Australian golfer Adam Scott last week to discuss any role the US President could play in bringing the two organisations together.

Mr O’Neil said progress had been made in recent weeks, with two of golf’s four majors, Britain’s Open Championship and the US Open, announcing additional exemptions to the PGA Tour’s ban on LIV Golf players competing in its events.

“We feel like we have the strongest field in golf, and we feel that the majors are the biggest stage in golf. We’d like the strongest field to be better represented on that big stage,” Mr O’Neil said.

“We’re very grateful for the movement we’ve seen already, but that’s probably the most important thing – to make sure that our players have the opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stages.”

The Watering Hole at The Grange Golf Club. Picture: Getty Images

Mr O’Neil said Adelaide had embraced the LIV Golf product – including the loud music and party holes – which was designed to attract a larger and broader group of fans of the sport.

“Our interest is how do we grow the game of golf? That’s something that we at LIV are very focused on,” he said.

“If you look at what’s coming in the future for LIV, it will very much look like a festival. It has to be about golf … but then music, art, fashion, culture should be wrapping around it.

“I love the watering hole, and I love the party hole concept, but I also love that on the 6th hole it’s going to be about families, so kids will be welcome too. We want to make sure that when we come to Adelaide, LIV welcomes everyone.”

More than 90,000 tickets have been sold for this weekend’s event, which is expected to attract up to 100,000 fans. More than 40 per cent of last year’s 94,000 fans visited from interstate or overseas.

Golfers including major champions Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Australia’s Cameron Smith will be teeing up for a $US25m ($39.7m) prize purse.

While LIV Golf might be shaking up the traditional version of the game, Mr O’Neil said one thing would remain – the power of golf to connect people from all corners of the world, whether for business or pleasure.

“I look at the deals that we’ve done in the short 40 days I’ve been here, and several have been on the golf course,” he said.

“I think that sport has an incredible role to play in the world. It’s not just about business – it can bring together families, communities, states, and sometimes even countries. It’s a common language that we share.”

Originally published as LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil looking to tap into success of Adelaide tournament