WEST PALM BEACH — About 18 months ago, Greg Norman sold his home on Jupiter Island and ranch in northwest Colorado and was headed back to his native Australia.
That’s when he was presented with a business model for a new golf league.
Norman then took a few months to look it over, tweak it, and decided he was not leaving the United States. The only problem …
“My wife Kiki said to me, ‘You know we’re homeless,’” he said.
So Norman got on Zillow and looked at homes in Old Palm in Palm Beach Gardens.
“We walk around the house, my wife is walking around like this,” Norman said giving a thumbs up sign. “I said to the owner ‘How much do you want for the house?’ I offered him more than his asking price. I said, ‘Close the deal. Close it right now. Cash.’ ”
Minutes later Norman was on the steps of his private plane, headed to Colorado, negotiating the final deal. He paid $12.2 million for his new home after pocketing $55.1 million for the Jupiter Island home and $52 million for the ranch in Meeker, Colo.
“It’s crazy, you can’t make this s— up,” he said.
Norman, who successfully developed golf courses around the world after a Hall of Fame playing career in which he won more than 90 tournaments worldwide, including two Open Championships, is now on a new adventure — the controversial LIV Golf Series.
Norman established LIV’s U.S. headquarters in a high rise in downtown West Palm Beach, settling into an office on the 14th floor with a view of the Intracoastal, Palm Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.
The office, though, is temporary. Norman has reserved about 30,000 square feet of space in a building being built adjacent to the one LIV is in now. He envisions it becoming LIV’s main headquarters with 216 employees.
Along with the vision — and the view — has come the backlash for being the CEO of a league not only challenging the PGA Tour but one financially backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
This week, I sat down with Norman for an exclusive interview about the controversial series and covered topics ranging from the politics of LIV Golf and its future, to the backlash from the PGA Tour and its players to Norman’s own legacy.
Here is our Q&A with Norman:
Building LIV Golf
Q: When did you first think about starting a new league?
A: In 1994, ’95 I wanted to start one because I knew being a global player at that time golf had an opportunity. There was virgin space sitting there available…
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