Greg Norman has come out swinging ahead of the 2024 LIV Golf League which gets underway tonight in Mayakoba, stating he has “never been more confident in the league, the people involved, and our supporters” in the wake of the PGA Tour’s $3bn equity deal with SSG.
Earlier this week the PGA Tour announced they had officially partnered with SSG, a consortium headed by Liverpool FC owners, Fenway Sports Group. The deal will see $3bn pumped into the game, with nearly 200 players having access to a $1.5 equity pool.
Norman is adamant that the partnership will not be a threat to LIV and the breakaway tour will continue its upward trajectory as it embarks on its third season.
“Let me make one thing very clear: nothing announced by other tours or investment groups changes LIV Golf’s positive trajectory or future plans,” Norman said.
“We started LIV Golf with the goal of creating something new, taking the game to a global, diverse audience and driving innovation while growing golf’s fanbase. More investment in golf is a great thing for the game and for us.”
“More investment in golf is a great thing for the game and for us. It’s a positive development for our players, our fans, and for the long-term future of the game. Golf is now viewed as an asset class. We proved this was possible and are now in a unique position to mould and drive this incredible growth opportunity.”
Norman’s bullish response comes after Jordan Spieth questioned the need for a cash influx from the PIF (which bankroll LIV) with the American believing the SSG financial muscle has put the PGA Tour back into a position of strength.
“I don’t think that it’s needed,” Spieth said. “But I think the short answer is we don’t have to and I think the long answer is the positive there is a unification.
“But, like I’ve mentioned earlier, we have members that feel strongly on both sides, so until that would be able to be solved and that would be number 10 on the list of 10 things . . . it would be a situation that we should try to have, but I’m not sure if or how or when it would get done.”
Leave a comment