Greg Norman has ‘absolutely zero’ regrets about his role in up-ending the world golfing order through the LIV golf tour

Greg Norman has declared that the merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf means he was right and has ‘absolutely zero’ regrets despite criticism of his role as head of the Saudi-backed Tour rival.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 26: Greg Norman greets fans on the 4th tee during LIV Adelaide at The Grange Golf Club on April 26, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

Greg Norman has delivered a defiant message to his critics upon his departure from the LIV Golf League that controversially up-ended the sport: “We were right.”

In an exclusive interview, the Australian sporting legend lamented that he had taken “a lot of bullets” while running the Saudi-backed rival to the PGA Tour, as he was attacked by some of the sport’s biggest names including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

But the former world number one declared he had “absolutely zero” regrets, with LIV now on the verge of merging with the PGA Tour and players across both competitions benefiting from bigger pay packets fuelled by billions of dollars injected into the sport by Saudi Arabia.

“I’m very, very proud of the fact that I opened the game of golf up,” Norman said, having first attempted to kickstart a breakaway golf league in the 1990s.

Former: LIV CEO Greg Norman first attempted to kickstart a breakaway golf league in the 1990s. Picture: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“I’ve always believed golf should be a global sport and not controlled by one entity.”

“I would say that I’m most proud of the fact that I brought private equity into the game … and gave these young kids today – who are the captains and who are playing in the LIV League today – an opportunity to put another zero behind their bank account, which we never had.”

“Even though all this white noise and rhetoric that takes place between that side and this side, they’ll all sit back. In the beginning, they all thought they were smart in what they were saying. And now they’re realising that, hey, we were right. And it’s going to take them a while to admit that.”

At the height of the storm about LIV, Norman was banished from the British Open, the major he won twice as a player. He said he was particularly pleased LIV now had a relationship with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the organising body.

“It all works out. You’ve just got to have the patience, you’ve got to have the business model, you’ve got to have the execution, and you’ve got to have the belief and the tolerance,” the 69-year-old said.

Greg Norman during LIV Adelaide in 2024. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

“I’ve taken a lot of bullets. I mean, to be honest with you, stuff I didn’t enjoy for three years. I still take a few bullets, but they’re from people who really have no idea what they’re talking about.”

“I’m very happy to sit down with anybody any time to talk about what LIV represents to the game of golf, what LIV has done to the game of golf to this day, and where we are going.”

Scott O’Neil took over from Norman as LIV’s chief executive in January, a move that had been mooted since a stunning peace deal was struck with PGA Tour bosses in 2023.

They are now working to finalise a long-awaited merger between both leagues, although Norman said he was uncertain where it would land, given he had deliberately stayed out of discussions to focus on the stand-alone success of LIV.

“From day one, I was never involved,” he said.

“I was smart enough to kind of distance myself from that to make sure that, okay, if private equity wants to invest in here, that’s their job. They can go there and do that. My job is here to protect this commercial entity over here and build it out into what it needs to be built into.”

Norman described the hundred-hour weeks he put into running LIV as a “labour of love”, and said he was excited to now spend more time in Australia after joining the organising committee for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Originally published as Greg Norman has ‘absolutely zero’ regrets about his role in up-ending the world golfing order through the LIV golf tour