Greg Norman, armed with a billion dollar war chest to start his breakaway LIV Golf League, had already lured major champions including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson as two of his headline acts.
But the Australian legend has revealed the moment he knew Cameron Smith was going to sign was an “oh my gosh” moment and even the “best thing that happened” for the fledgling tour in a move which shook the golf world.
Smith signed late in 2022, for a deal reportedly worth $140 million, after claiming his first major, the British Open, and amid the best year of his career which included winning The Players Championship.
The Queenslander had risen to No.2 on the world rankings and his decision to join the Saudi-backed league earned Smith criticism from plenty including the likes of golfing great Fred Couples.
Norman was well aware of the magnitude of Smith’s signature for LIV and told the NCA NewsWire how the Australian star was sold on the “facts” of the new league, and not swayed by the huge swarm of negativity and legal battles LIV found itself facing as players who joined were banned from the PGA Tour.
Smith felt that punishment too when he lost his winner’s carpark at TPC Sawgrass, where he won The Players, and was banned from defending his title this year.
While Norman said Smith “went through a lot” before signing, he was allowed to make the decision on his own in what proved a huge LIV coup.
“I have a lot of respect for all these guys making the decision they made. They made the decision on the presentation that we gave them, the offer we gave them, you respect them for doing that,” Norman said ahead of next week’s LIV event in Adelaide.
“I respect anybody for making the decision when they know the facts.
“When I started talking to Cam, I didn’t want to push it. These guys have got to find their own way, knowing what is out there. To get from the offer, to signing it, to get to that point, you’ve got to go through a lot.
“It’s no different to when I signed on as CEO. So when I did the presentation to Cam I sat back and let it go and I didn’t I push it at all.
“We had a couple of conversations. And then when the time came, he was ready. He found the way he found the way down that path of the journey he wanted to do.
“When he came on board. It was like “oh my gosh”, the best thing that happened to us to be honest with you.”
Smith made a massive early impact for LIV, winning just his second event in Chicago in September.
This year he’s been made captain of the All-Australian “Ripper GC” and will lead them in Adelaide next week looking for a breakthrough team win.
But outside of victories on the course, Norman said the prospect of creating “generational wealth” through each team, which players own a part of, was another lure for players like Smith to join LIV and be a part of history.
“Generational wealth is there to be had,” Norman said.
“We are giving them the opportunity to look into the future instead of month by month, year by year, on the PGA Tour and where they see my schedule is like ‘I‘m going to play this, 23 or 24 tournaments, oh, that same old grind again’.
“Now these captains like Cam are working out how to maximise their value through generational wealth. We see it there.
“I was in Miami at a conference two days ago there was one guy very bullish on buying one of the teams. He said I want to buy one of your teams, I said not for sale, call me in two years.
“That’s where you go. Oh my gosh, these are so lucky to have that future laying out in front of them.”
