Greg Norman has admitted he ‘wishes’ he had sat down with Rory McIlroy and other PGA Tour players during his time as LIV Golf boss, in a bid to ease tensions during one of the most turbulent periods in the sport’s history.
Norman was the driving force behind LIV Golf’s launch in 2022, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and quickly became a central figure in golf’s bitter divide.
His tenure as commissioner was marked by strong resistance from the PGA Tour and several of its leading players, none bigger than McIlroy.
Norman, who departed his role in late 2024, recently received some vindication for his work after PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp admitted LIV Golf successfully “exposed” flaws in the game’s establishment and sparked positive change for players and fans.
Yet the 71-year-old Australian has lingering regret, believing he could have done more before LIV’s launch to convince sceptics of its value.
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“I just wish I’d sat down with Rory and a few others on the PGA Tour to explain to them what my mission was and what LIV mission was,” he told Skratch’s Dan Rapaport. “And when I look at social media and what Brian Rolapp just said recently, I went, ‘Hallelujah, hallelujah. Finally.’
“Because Brian was an outsider coming into the world of golf, he had a different prism to look through. He had it from a sports point of view, he looked from a fan’s point of view, he looked at it from an innovation standpoint, and how to bring the players to a more of a stronger level within the organization, have the players say more. That’s what we did with LIV.
“Look what we did for Bryson DeChambeau, right? He got his IP back. And look with him now on social media, he’s got a massive YouTube following. If he stayed on the PGA Tour, that probably wasn’t going to happen.
“So, giving the players this additional opportunity was something. And I was so pleased to read that from Brian Rolapp the other day. And I’ve always complimented him since he’s come in, right? Because he’s got a whole new, fresh approach to the world of golf.
“And what he’s done with the NFL and seeing the growth of the NFL is just significant, and where it’s pushing out globally. So I’m very, very impressed with Brian and the position he’s taking right now, especially with that comment he made.”
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Rory McIlroy
McIlroy emerged as one of LIV’s most vocal critics during its early stages, even suggesting Norman should step aside to help repair relations between the rival tours. That ultimately came to pass, with Norman replaced as LIV Golf CEO by Scott O’Neil in early 2025.
However, despite the leadership change, uncertainty continues to cloud LIV’s future.
Reports in recent days have suggested the PIF — its primary financial backer since launch — is set to withdraw funding beyond this season, casting doubt over the league’s long-term sustainability.
Now viewing developments from the outside, Norman believes securing fresh investment will be key to LIV’s survival.
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“That’ll totally depend on Scott O’Neil,” Norman said when asked if LIV can go on without the PIF.
“I read his comments: ‘We gotta go raise money ourselves, LIV has to do that.’ Basically, he’s got to get out there on the street now, and he’s gotta do a roadshow, and he’s gotta see if he can dilute some of the PIF funding down to somewhere else. Getting a U.S. financial institution coming in would be very advantageous. No different from what’s happened with the SSG and PGA Tour.”
Greg Norman
Norman also offered insight into LIV’s early struggles, particularly in the United States, where the league initially faced strong opposition.
“LIV is really much beyond a start-up. Start-up we were, yes, for maybe two going into three years. But when we had that foundation of stability underneath us, especially on the global front, we knew we had something that was working,” said Norman.
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“Here in the United States, it was not working as well as we hoped it would because there was a lot of blowback. In the very beginning, we couldn’t even get vendors to sign with us. We couldn’t get anybody to come and do anything in the United States. It was 100% radioactive.
“It just blew my mind, because when we went to Australia or other places around the world, we were received with open arms. We’d have an economic impact on Adelaide to the tune of nearly nine figures for a three-day event. Other people around the world saw that, felt that, realized that, and understood that.”
As LIV Golf continues to fight for its long-term future, Norman’s reflections provide a revealing look at the challenges faced during its infancy — and the missed opportunities that may have shaped its relationship with the PGA Tour differently.
Watch Norman’s comments here:
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