Greg Norman has been the chief executive of LIV Golf since the breakaway league was formed in 2022 – but the golf legend has now confirmed he will be replaced in the role
Greg Norman has confirmed he will no longer be at the helm as CEO of LIV Golf, but he’s poised to stay with the controversial Saudi-backed tour in a different role.
The Australian golf legend, who was recruited by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) to lead the insurgent league since its inception last year, acknowledged the change in leadership after months of speculation.
Speaking to Wish TV, Norman stated: “Is there going to be a new CEO? Yes. There will be a new CEO. I’m fine with that. “Will I always have a place and be involved with LIV to some capacity? Yes. I’ll always have that.
“Because of the impact that has been created in the game of golf by LIV, I’ve had a small, small piece of that, which I’m proud of… I’ve seen it come from a business model on paper to giving birth on the golf course to where it is today.”
His comments come amid the backdrop of the bitter strife between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which caused shockwaves throughout the sport before they reached an armistice via a framework agreement last June. A year-and-a-half on, the two sides have yet to seal an official agreement, with ongoing negotiations.
Norman has largely stayed out of the discussions but feels that men’s professional golf has significantly progressed since the initial disputes in 2022.
LIV bosses are on the hunt for a new boss ( Image: Getty Images)
“The game is in a much better place today than it was a year ago,” he said. “Competition was a great thing for them [PGA Tour] too. Now they got an injection from SSG (Strategic Sports Group) of $1.5 billion. Great for the PGA Tour, wonderful.
“So everywhere you look – In the first couple years, everybody was lambasting us. And now all of a sudden, everybody’s trying to follow us. And I think everybody should take a step back and say, ‘Oh my gosh. How good has this been for the game of golf?'”
While the LIV circuit hasn’t confirmed a replacement for Norman as CEO, reports last month from Sports Business Journal suggest they’re eyeing Scott O’Neil, the former Philadelphia 76ers boss, who recently left Merlin Entertainments in London.
