Norman Steps Down and O'Neill Takes Office

LIV Golf has appointed its second Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Sports marketing expert Scott O'Neil has been appointed as the second CEO of LIV Golf. Photo by LIV Golf

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On the 15th (local time), LIV Golf announced in a statement that it had removed Greg Norman (Australia) and appointed sports marketing expert Scott O'Neil as the new head. The former CEO Norman was the world's top golfer before the emergence of the 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA). He served as CEO since the launch of LIV Golf and was credited with establishing LIV Golf quickly through aggressive player acquisitions.

However, due to excessive conflicts with the PGA Tour, LIV Golf faced obstacles in merger negotiations with the PGA Tour recently, leading to persistent rumors of Norman's resignation. In fact, Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), a marquee player of the PGA Tour, publicly stated early in the 2022 negotiations that integration would only be possible if Norman stepped down. LIV Golf stated, "Norman will step down from his full-time position but will still be involved with LIV Golf," indicating he will serve as an advisor for the time being.

Scott O'Neil, who will now lead LIV Golf, previously served as CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL's New Jersey Devils. Recently, he worked as CEO of Merlin Entertainments, a global resort operator, and is a sports marketing expert. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, LIV Golf's parent company, expressed expectations, saying, "O'Neil has the passion, perseverance, and vision to elevate LIV Golf into a world-class sports and entertainment company."

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