After a months-long search, LIV Golf has settled upon its new chief govt officer.
A number of stories point out that Scott O’Neil, who held the identical title for the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils from 2013 and 2021, will succeed Norman because the commissioner of LIV Golf. Josh Carpenter of Sports activities Enterprise Journal had it first.
O’Neil most lately served as CEO of Merlin Entertainments, a London-based theme-park conglomerate. However now he’ll be part of LIV and change outgoing CEO Greg Norman, who will transfer into a brand new senior advisory position throughout the Saudi-backed circuit. How a lot affect Norman could have in 2025 and past stays unclear.
After all, the PGA Tour is at present in talks with the Saudi Public Funding Fund (PIF), engaged on find out how to construction the game’s future. PGA brass, spearheaded by Commissioner Jay Monahan, former board member Jimmy Dunne, and Coverage Board Chairman Ed Herlihy, shockingly introduced a framework settlement with the PIF on Jun. 6, 2023. That deal settled all lawsuits and set the course for each events to strike a concrete, nuanced settlement to settle golf’s present schism between the tour and LIV.
Within the days after the framework settlement turned public, stories emerged that Monahan would take over as LIV’s de facto commissioner and have the ultimate say about its future. However no such occasion has transpired.
As an alternative, LIV has continued to develop, wrapping up its third full yr of operations in 2024—a yr that included the additions of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Bryson DeChambeau, LIV’s largest star, shined on the U.S. Open.
The league has already introduced a strong 2025 schedule, which once more contains stops in Saudi Arabia, Adelaide, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The circuit additionally added occasions in South Korea and Indianapolis.
As for Norman, his position because the CEO of LIV since its launch in 2022 has been polarizing. Norman has generally acted belligerently, expressing hostility in direction of the PGA Tour. However that’s to not say these from the tour are harmless, both. Quite a few stakeholders on the PGA Tour aspect have publically known as for Norman’s ousting.
“Greg has to go, to begin with,” mentioned Tiger Woods forward of the 2022 Hero World Challenege.
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“Then we are able to speak freely, to say the least.”
Rory McIlroy agrees.
“I’ve frolicked with [PIF Governor] Yasir al-Rumayyan, and the people who have represented him in LIV, I believe, have performed him a disservice, so [Greg] Norman and people guys,” McIlroy mentioned after his remaining spherical on the 2024 Gamers Championship.
“I see the 2 entities, and I believe there’s a very huge disconnect between PIF and LIV. I believe you bought PIF over right here, and LIV is kind of over right here doing its personal factor. So the nearer we [as the PGA Tour can] get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalize that funding, I believe that will probably be a very good factor.”
Norman has lengthy envisioned a world tour of high gamers akin to what LIV has developed into immediately. He initially laid out his plans for a worldwide league within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, which Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer scoffed at, per Alan Shipnuck’s LIV and Let Die. McIlroy has known as for one thing comparable, however his disdain for Norman stays.
Maybe Norman leaving his publish as CEO could velocity up negotiations between the PIF and the PGA Tour. In spite of everything, Mets Proprietor Steve Cohen expressed additional confidence in a deal getting performed this week.
That mentioned, it stays unclear how O’Neill’s appointment as CEO will affect these discussions—if in any respect. However LIV has a brand new commissioner, one not as polarizing as Norman, which ought to solely assist issues going ahead.
O’Neill’s appointment as the brand new chief govt additionally signifies that LIV doesn’t plan to go anyplace anytime quickly.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
