By James Corrigan
Greg Norman is being replaced as LIV Golf chief executive by the man who has been in charge of Legoland.
The Australian’s time is up as the head of the rebel circuit which, in just a few years, has irrevocably changed the landscape of professional golf. With the might of the Saudi chequebook, Norman took on the establishment, seemingly unbothered by those he infuriated in the process.
Greg Norman with South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas, whose state has hosted the rebel LIV Golf tour.Credit: Getty
The two-time major winner is likely to remain on the LIV board but will imminently pass on the operational reins to Scott O’Neil, an American who has lived in the UK for the past two years in his role as chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, the world’s second-largest operator of visitor attractions including the Legoland franchise and a number of other theme parks.
O’Neil will inevitably be cast as having jumped from the funfairs to the circus, but there can be no doubting his credentials. Before Merlin, O’Neil was president of the NBA’s New York Knicks, before running the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and ice hockey’s New Jersey Devils.
O’Neil is regarded by LIV as the perfect individual to lead the circuit to a new phase, which may or may not feature in a merger between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour.
Negotiations are ongoing between the parties that have been warring since LIV’s formation in 2022 and O’Neil’s appointment is being viewed as a huge positive in the drive for peace.
“This will align with a potential PGA Tour deal,” a source with knowledge of the situation speaking on the condition of anonymity told the London Telegraph. “They’ve decided that a relationship-builder is needed as CEO of LIV now – the messy stuff is over. But you would assume that Greg’s not going anywhere and will still have a big presence in LIV. He did a hell of a job getting us here.”
Indeed, even though his contract is up at the end of next year’s campaign in August, it is difficult to envisage Norman, who turns 70 in February, being turfed out. He attracted huge controversy with some of his statements – “Everyone makes mistakes,” he replied at the LIV launch when asked if he could justify working for a kingdom that, in 2018, ordered the butchering of journalist Jamal Khashoggi – and was never less than confrontational in his remarks concerning the Tours, as well as the four majors.
However, Norman was the perfect disruptor because he himself first proposed the notion of a breakaway world league in the Nineties and had notable connections with some of the names LIV was able to secure in its billion-dollar rampage, including Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.
Norman is a close ally of Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor and chairman of LIV, and to believe he will disappear is probably wishful thinking by those who have rallied against the Great White Shark.
The Telegraph, London
