[PHOTO: Getty images]
Greg Norman has officially signed off on his time with LIV Golf after spending four years getting the rival league off the ground as its inaugural chief executive officer and league commissioner.
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On Thursday, former world No.1 and two-time Open Championship winner Norman took to social media to announce his time with the 54-hole league had finished.
“After four unforgettable years, I have officially closed out my time with LIV Golf, and reflecting with nothing but gratitude, pride and achievement,” Norman, 70, posted on Instagram.
While controversial at times, Norman has been praised for his ability to establish LIV Golf in 2022, when its debut season featured eight events and then 14 tournaments across the globe in its second (2023), third and fourth seasons.
When LIV’s current CEO, Scott O’Neil, took over in January this year, even Rory McIlroy, who has been a vocal critic of Norman and LIV Golf, said that “Greg took a lot of flak the first couple of years [but] he is probably one of the only guys in golf who could have taken on that role. He got it off the ground, and you have to commend him for that.”
Under Norman, LIV’s first wave of players in 2022 included massive names such as Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka. Ryder Cuppers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton joined for the 2024 campaign. The league, which has struggled to gain TV audiences in the US, has resonated in global markets such as Australia, Spain, England, Korea, Hong Kong, and Mexico. The league also managed to secure an automatic exemption into both the US Open and Open Championship for the leading points scorer on its individual season-long standings. This year, Joaquin Niemann and Garcia took those exemptions into the US open and The Open, respectively.
Norman also worked closely with the South Australian government to establish LIV Golf Adelaide in 2023 and it instantly became the league’s flagship tournament. The event at The Grange GC has seen more than 100,000 fans through the gates in its past two editions and has been locked in for South Australia through 2031.
“Together, we built a movement that changed the game globally,” Norman’s post continued. “We created opportunities for both players and fans and broaden the ecosystem of golf. We truly globalised the game and expanded golf’s reach to fans around the world. We brought entertainment, innovation and private equity into golf (including to the PGA Tour) positioning the sport as an asset class. It’s been an incredible chapter, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished. My commitment to do what was and still is, the right thing for golf, the players and fans never wavered.
“Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey with me during this time. I’ll always look back on this time with great fulfilment and appreciation.
“As for what’s next…stay tuned! Exciting times ahead. Onward to the next adventure.”
