PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman at a recent LIV event.
David Cannon/Getty Images
CEO of Firebrand LIV Golf Greg Normanwho was central to the creation of the first Saudi-funded golf league and the pro-golf civil war over the past two years, will soon be replaced as chief executive of the tour he helped found, according to multiple reports.
SPorts Business Journal reported for the first time that LIV Golf was expected to hire former Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment CEO Scott O’Neil for the position. Since then, many media outlets have confirmed the news.
While Norman is expected to remain with LIV Golf in a senior position, the news still represents an extremely important development in the pro golf feud.
When LIV Golf was first announced in 2021, Norman was appointed as its first CEO. The league quickly faced major backlash from the PGA Tour, its players, some fans and the media.
In the face of opposition, Norman adopted an aggressive stance, vocally supporting the league and feuding with Tour and Tour players who opposed LIV in public, sometimes calling the PGA Tour an “illegal monopoly.”
of Norman War of words with PGA Tour Rory McIlroy was one of the most notable over the past two years. The two golf legends traded barbs in the press, sometimes getting personal.
In November 2022, McIlroy was asked what would have to happen to end golf’s pro feud and bring the two sides together, the four-time major champion called for Norman’s ouster as CEO of LIV.
“I think Greg (Norman) should go. I think he just needs to go off stage left,” McIlroy said. “He’s made his mark, but I think now is the right time to say, look, you’ve got this thing out, but nobody’s going to speak up unless there is an adult in the room who can try to mend fences.
In June 2023, Framework Agreement between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia it was announced, starting something of a truce. But negotiations for a final deal have dragged on.
O’Neil has been CEO of London-based theme park company Merlin Entertainments since 2022. O’Neil could be named CEO of LIV as early as next week, sources said Sports Business Journal that the deal “is not signed, but on the 1-yard line.”
With no final agreement, LIV Golf is scheduled to begin its 2025 season in Saudi Arabia in February.
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