A shark left to thrash around on a dry deck hopelessly gasping for water will survive only a few minutes, so there exists at least one metric by which Greg Norman can be said to have exceeded expectations during his tenure as CEO of LIV Golf.
The ceaseless sluice of reports, rumors and conjecture about LIV has resurfaced speculation that the flaxen-haired finger puppet could be replaced by the former CEO of TaylorMade, Mark King. I reached out to King through a mutual friend in July; he responded saying he wouldn’t be taking the job. If King does end up running LIV, his denial and subsequent volte-face would at least give him something in common with his players, and as the current CEO of Taco Bell he can certainly boast relevant experience in repackaging the synthetic and unpalatable as authentic and nourishing.
A change in LIV’s leadership won’t simply be about sidelining a polarizing figure motivated by a personal animus against the PGA Tour and viewed with disdain by many top players, including some he has caressed with MBS’s cash. Swapping out the Shark would suggest short-term desperation more than long-term determination, perhaps even a new face-saving strategy by the Saudis. It would also represent the only move left for LIV before having to acknowledge that the fundamental problem isn’t who captains the ship.
Despite Norman’s inexhaustible bluster and bots, all is not well in the LIV metaverse. While the PGA Tour has given its loyalists what they demanded—elite events, more lucrative prize funds, bigger bonuses—LIV has provided its recruits nothing of what they were promised except cash. There is no uncontested right to cherry pick from other tours, no world ranking points, no clear pathway to the majors, no broadcast rights deal, no audience, no public acclaim as visionaries, no applause for growing the game.
The Saudis secured what they could—players, a handful of unemployed executives, the goodwill of media influencers thirsty for access—but even the kingdom’s resources haven’t been able to buy fan loyalty or the acquiescence of golf’s established institutions. Team golf is a tough sell, but moreso when the product is lousy and the association with a merciless regime too toxic for commercial sponsors. That reality won’t be altered by replacing a CEO whose confidence far outpaces his competency.
Recent days have brought rumblings of discontent among LIV players and reports of belt-tightening on the lavish perks…
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