The Public Investment Fund is reportedly set to remove Greg Norman from his position as LIV Golf CEO. According to reports, the Saudi Arabian fund contacted Odgers Berndtson, a London-based human resources consulting firm, to search for Norman’s replacement.
Greg Norman, regarded as arguably the greatest Australian golfer, has been associated with LIV Golf since its inception and has played a significant role in the league’s progress.
On Tuesday, October 15, Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal reported that PIF was seeking a change in LIV Golf’s leadership.
Fans online had mixed reactions to this news. Many felt it was time for a new CEO for the LIV Golf-PGA Tour negotiation progress.
Here’s a look at some of the reactions from the fans:
“Sounds like a good job for Phil,” one fan wrote.”A deal is imminent,” another fan posted.”Does he care? I doubt it. He got paid and accomplished more than expected. This is a good sign they are getting close to a deal,” this user commented.”That’s significant, though not surprising. The s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s, mentality and capabilities it takes to launch something is completely different than what it takes to move an organization from an “toddler” into “adolescence”,” another user opined.”Good. Greg was a great transitional CEO bringing international hype to the league and bringing a players perspective. Now that LIV is the top league in the world with the most eyeballs, he knows to step back and take a more passive role and let a new mind come make it even bigger,” this user remarked.”Maybe they are looking for a CEO that can help the transition and allow the two forms of the game to co-exist and importantly strike a TV deal that brings LIV to mainstream screens,” one user wrote.Greg Norman to continue with LIV Golf but in a different position: Reports
According to the Sports Business Journal, Greg Norman still has substantial support from LIV Golf management, and he will be assigned a new leadership role. While Odgers Berndtson has been tasked with finding a new CEO, LIV Golf is also working with CAA Sports and Egon Zehnder to fill other leadership positions.
The PIF-sponsored league is planning to introduce roles such as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) or Chief Legal Officer (CLO), and Greg Norman may be appointed to one of these positions.
Last month, LIV Golf concluded its third season, with Jon Rahm becoming the individual champion and Ripper GC winning the team Championship. This year, the Saudi-backed circuit added one more team after signing Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton for a significant sum.
