Photo Credit: LIV Golf
When news started getting out about Greg Norman getting ousted as the CEO of LIV Golf in the last couple of weeks, I canāt say I was not surprised.
Before I get into this there are a couple things I need to make clear to put some context into this story.
First, I am a big PGA Tour guy, and second, I am not a Greg Norman fan.
So, when the concept of LIV first became public, I was pissed and that Norman was involved, was the cherry on the top of the pissed off desert.
But the more I looked at both tours, the more I realized there was plenty wrong with the PGA Tour. Thereās nothing like a little competition to get the conversation started, and Norman was the gasoline set to ignite the fire.
The money LIV was throwing out was too good for some of the players to pass up, while it was also so good for some of the lesser professionals to pass up. It was more than some had ever won and more than they would ever have a chance to win.
But with the threats thrown out by the PGA Tour along with spicy rhetoric by people like Tiger and Rory, there was a lot to think about for the Tour players thinking of taking the leap.
What LIV needed was a tough guy, a villain that despised the PGA Tour and was willing to go toe to toe with the PGA Tour.
They needed their own Darth Vader, and Norman was the perfect guy.
The disdain Norman has for the PGA Tour was real, well known, and now LIV had the guy willing to throw daggers on any platform willing to give him a microphone and a spot to talk.
I never enjoyed watching Norman, that is unless he was blowing a tournament, but he was so solid in that villain role with basically a blank check to lure players to LIV it was almost must watch TV.
And he got some of the biggest and most influential players like Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson.
LIV was throwing so much money around that the PGA Tour had to do something or risk losing more players. Purses were raised, bonus packages were created, and suddenly the PGA Tour players were playing for what they should have been for a while.
And that was something that Norman played a major role in making happy.
When some LIV players inquired about returning to the PGA Tour, they were stonewalled.
Eventually it was evident that the two sides would talk and when a type of agreement was reached between the two tours that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund was going to inject $1 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises, the writing was on the wall for Normanās power within LIV.
No longer was the alpha male with an axe to grind was needed, Ā but rather someone who would be able to sooth some hurt feelings and conduct negotiations in a more positive direction.
That ability is not in Normanās makeup and finally in the last 10 days, there have been several stories that LIV Golf plans to hire former NBA and NHL executive Scott O’Neil to replace Norman as CEO and commissioner.
An announcement could come next week.
One thing that I think plagued LIV is that Normas was never able to secure a major television contract, leaving limited exposure for the league or players.
Even making the tournaments full of fun with a party-like atmosphere, one thing became crystal clear ā LIV was not the PGA Tour, nor will it ever be, thus, to coexist with the PGA Tour a less acerbic method was needed, and the change will be made.
As mentioned above I have never been a fan of Norman and know the change will make golf better, Norman does deserve his credit for his part.
It was the perfect move at the title and all professional players should be thankful.
I am hoping to see the two networks form a bond that can allow us to see the best players in the world on a regular basis.
By Dennis Miller