Greg Norman has revived his proposal to rival the PGA Tour, delivering guaranteed money to a select few of the game’s top players through a limited schedule, in his new role as CEO of LIV Golf Investments, a firm sponsored by the Public Investment Fund and acting on behalf of the Saudi government.
Norman recently reaffirmed his position as the organization’s face when asked if he saw any problems with cooperating with a Saudi regime that has been heavily criticized for human rights atrocities.
In an interview with the Financial Times, the former World No. 1 stated categorically that he is not being exploited by the corporation to improve its image.
“No, I haven’t been used for sportswashing,” Norman told the Financial Times. “I’ve gone to Saudi Arabia, and I’ve witnessed the changes that have occurred.”
Norman has made the connection between racial concerns in the United States and social issues in Saudi Arabia.
“Every country has committed atrocities in the past…
Just look at America’s racism, for example; it’s so deeply ingrained that it’s unattractive,” he remarked.
LIV Golf Investments has sparked a flurry of speculation about whether PGA Tour stars may compete in Saudi-backed events, as well as how the top two established tours, the PGA Tour and the European Tour, would respond if their finest players were snatched.
This spring, the Saudi-led alternative league sought to collaborate with the European Tour. Several of the game’s best players, including then-world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Rickie Fowler, and Justin Rose, received multi-million dollar offers in May, with some bids topping $50 million.
Soon after, the PGA Tour and the European Tour joined to create the Player Impact Program, a $40 million prize pool designed to “recognize and reward individuals who positively move the needle.”
Instead, LIV Golf Investments collaborated with the Asian Tour, investing more than $200 million in a series of tournaments over the next ten years. In a secret meeting in New York City attended by a few golf media outlets, Norman and the Saudis revealed a peek of their idea.
According to Golfweek, the PGA Tour has continued to fight off the possibility of a new rival Saudi league by preparing a massive rise in player bonuses in 2022, as well as dramatically increasing prize money at limited-field tournaments. The FedEx Cup bonus pool, the Tour’s most lucrative cash grab, will increase to $75 million from $60 million last season, lavishing even more money on top players.
Despite the PGA Tour’s increased bonuses and prize money, a group of renowned golfers, including Mickelson, Johnson, and DeChambeau, appeared on a list of players committed to compete in the Saudi International as part of the Asian Tour on Nov. 29. The PGA Tour and European Tour – newly rebranded as the DP World Tour – have threatened unspecified repercussions for any of its players who participate in rival LIV events on the Asian Tour without gaining exemptions, which the PGA and Euro tours have sworn to refuse.
Norman was an obvious candidate to host the new show. He suggested the World Golf Tour in 1994, a series of eight no-cut events that would bring together 40 players. The PGA Tour rejected the concept, and in 1997, then-commissioner Tim Finchem launched the World Golf Championships, which followed many of the same principles.
The Australian continues to believe the PGA Tour underpays players and believes the new series will provide a better solution.
“You take a look at the value that’s been created in other sports, for other players, and for other franchises. Golf has never understood or been able to get into that market,” Norman told the Financial Times.
During a press conference Tuesday ahead of his Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods was asked about the possibility of a new rival league.
When asked whether a player had sought his advise on whether or not to play, Woods stated it was up to the player to make that decision, however he will remain loyal to the PGA Tour.
“I understand that some of the parallels are to when Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus left the PGA of America to form the Tour. He stated, “I don’t see it that way.” “I think the Tour has done an outstanding job, and (Commissioner Jay Monahan) has done an incredible job at a difficult period.” Players had plenty of opportunities to flee during the pandemic. Because we were the first sporting tour to begin, did we have some protocol concerns at times? Yes, we had to learn on the spot. However, Jay and his team have done an outstanding job in this regard. I believe the Tour is in excellent hands; they are performing admirably, and prize money is increasing; yet, unlike most sports, it is not financially secure. It’s similar to tennis in that you have to work for it.”
