Tiger health, LIV golf swings and more: The confidential journey

Sign up every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in sports and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Tiger Woods’ latest health update, Greg Norman’s departure from LIV Golf, the LPGA Tour’s search for a new CEO and more.

Tiger Woods spoke to the media at his Hero World Challenge, calling last season a washout and still unsure how healthy he will be to play consistently in 2025. What was your biggest takeaway from the Tiger with the media and the longer you do you think he will approach each season with hope, but not sure if he will play a few championships before he decides to hang it up for good? Are we close to that?

Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): It’s like deja vu at this press conference every year. Tiger always seems to be frustrated with his health and unsure of what he will be able to do next season. When he said he hoped to play once a month, it turned out that it wasn’t even close. But none of this is surprising at this point; it’s just reality. The boy’s body has been through a lot. That said, I think this will be the status quo going forward. He’s still competitive and will play as much as he can and I don’t think a full retirement is coming anytime soon unless things get significantly worse. But I’m also curious how much (if any) he’ll play in the Champions League when he gets around to navigating a wheelchair. That day is fast approaching.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Okay, Josh. Tiger plays a lot of things close to the vest. But for a long time now, I don’t think he’s known any more about his plans than the rest of us, and those plans have been to play as much as possible, along with a handful of events. others. All degrees are available to him as long as he is willing to hold on to hope. And I don’t expect him to completely give them up anytime soon. But as Red Sox second baseman Jerry Remy said when he became a broadcaster: we’re every day, even the GOAT.

Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): Tiger always says he hopes to play in the majors (and a few other select tournaments), but the reality is that his body won’t allow it. The day his car left the road in 2021, his career effectively ended. It remains to be seen how long it will take him to accept this fact.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman confirmed reports that have been circulating for weeks that he will be out as CEO of the league after his three-year run. (Former CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Scott O’Neil has been reported as his replacement.) How will Norman’s time as CEO at LIV be remembered? And years from now, how important will his role be in any view of the pro golf landscape?

Berhow: Norman had such a strange and complex relationship with sports. Actually, it’s pretty hard to keep this answer concise, but in short he did well to sign some big name players away from the tournament – Rahm, Bryson, Brooks, etc. – and, whether they wanted it or not, it brought disruption to the game. some fans and players thought it was due to the rift. But it also never got a quality TV deal, which was essential for LIV Golf to expand its reach and prove it was more than just a start-up with a quirky format that aired on YouTube. Would LIV Golf or the pro golf landscape look different now without Norman, and if someone else had just taken that role? Maybe not much, but Norman will be forever attached to it.

Meaning: With their financial muscle, the Saudis apparently could have found a number of people to help them disrupt the men’s game. But Norman was the perfect vessel for him: a global star with restless ambition and – given that a rival tournament was his idea all along – a super-sharp ax to grind. That weight of his name certainly didn’t hurt with recruiting a group of guys that LIV now has. But dislike of Norman may have helped alienate others and done little to advance the prospect of negotiations.

Melts: Norman will be remembered as a polarizing and divisive figure. Whether you see this as a good thing or a bad thing is up to you.

From one departing CEO to another, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, commissioner of the LPGA Tour, announced that she will step down from her role in January, two years before her contract reportedly expires. While purses have grown significantly since Marcoux Samaan took over in May 2021, the 2024 season ended with a Solheim Cup parking debacle and a major sponsor calling the Tour on its season-ending event. What will be Marcoux Samaan’s legacy? And what do you think ultimately led to this early departure?

Berhow: The bags grew drastically in her time and while that’s not entirely due to a league’s CEO, they get a ton of credit. Increasing purses and expanding the league’s reach and exposure were probably the two most important items on its to-do list when it started, and while one was accomplished, I’m not sure the other was. Was it entirely her fault? Probably not, but if the boss can take credit for growing the wallet, they should take the fall when things don’t go so well. Nelly Korda had a historic season and just didn’t seem to get enough traction. (Again, Korda probably could have helped himself more here, too.) Finally, the Solheim Cup parking snafu was bad, and the immediate response wasn’t much better.

Meaning: I don’t think you can lay the parking debate entirely at her feet. Her role is the big picture, not the depth of logistics on the ground. But it was bad optics (and the slow communication response was amateurish) and part of the boss’s job is to get angry when things like this go wrong. The fact that the third round of the CME Championship at the end of the season was shown on tape delay was another bad sight. But that was a TV contract negotiated before Marcous Samaan took over. Again, though, the buck has to stop somewhere for this to be included in her legacy. In her defense, I think the disappointments with the LPGA this season reflect an issue throughout professional golf: players, organizations and networks want and expect more money than the market warrants. Golf is a special sport.

Melts: I will give credit to Mollie, she helped raise the purses on the LPGA tour and was generally well liked by the players. Ultimately, however, her inability to act as an effective communicator was her downfall. The problems facing the LPGA Tour are too great for a single figure to fix, and I would expect the next commission to face similar headwinds. However, at a minimum, they should find someone who can better communicate with fans, sponsors and the media.

After a year in which NBC Sports held mini “trials” for its lead analyst role, the network announced that Kevin Kisner will be the replacement to take over the full-time gig recently held by Paul Azinger. Do you like the selection of Kisner over the other candidates?

Berhow: I think Kisner’s easy-going personality and relationship with so many current Tour pros played to his advantage, but from that chair it’s also their job to be critical when necessary. How often will Kisner pull that arrow from his quiver? We will find out.

Meaning: Kisner can be funny, and he certainly knows what it’s like to be there, but there’s no question that the close ties to the players he covers are both a benefit and a liability. I understand that Brandel Chamblee isn’t universally loved, but I also think he’s as smart and sharp as he gets in golf. I would have liked to see him in the role.

Melts: it’s good. The hire isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s not a total failure either. I would have preferred to see Chamblee in the booth, but alas.

The top two American players returned refreshed last week, with Jordan Spieth playing Hero after a wrist injury and a struggling Will Zalatoris making it into the DP World Tour after his first healthy season in years. Both sounded optimistic about 2025. Who will have the best season?

Berhow: Willy Z. He’s had a year to get more comfortable with his new broomstick and swing. He looks healthy, excited and dedicated. I like him to win at least once next season and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do it twice.

Meaning: Zalatoris. Even when he was winning majors, Spieth relied on an otherworldly scrambling and putting game that is hard to sustain. Perhaps more importantly, he has also gone through a long period of struggles with his overall game, which affects confidence.

Melts: My coworkers nailed it. Zalatoris looked like one of the best players in the world before his injury problems. If he’s back to 100 percent, watch out.