"He was Tiger Woods before Tiger Woods"- LIV Golf broadcaster lauds Greg Norman's impact on golf
Greg Norman is currently best known as the CEO of LIV Golf, but there was a time when he was a top golfer on the PGA Tour. The Australian was very popular, so popular that one LIV broadcaster said he was the sport's Tiger Woods before the legendary golfer arrived.
David Feherty said (via National Club Golfer):
“His fingerprints are all over this and always will be. People forget at times that before Tiger Woods, there was Greg Norman who brought that level of fitness. The guy won more than 100 tournaments around the world. He was Tiger Woods before Tiger Woods."
Feherty said that Norman was "the most recognizable personality on the planet for a long time," noting his iconic blonde hair and "swashbuckling moves on the golf course" as some of the reasons for his popularity.
The broadcaster added:
"He’s an amazing character, larger than life and if he does take a different position within the organization, his influence is always going to be felt no matter where he is in the organization.”
Norman's contract as the LIV Golf CEO ends next year and he may be doing something else entirely. No matter what, Feherty believes the former Major champion has had an outsized effect on golf, especially LIV.
David Feherty addresses LIV Golf switch
David Feherty is now a broadcaster for LIV Golf, a switch that had to be made when the rebel tour was working on getting a television deal. The broadcaster admitted that there was money involved, but he'd always envisioned being a lead analyst somewhere.
With Ken Venturi, Nick Faldo, Paul Azinger, Johnny Miller, and others ahead of him for that spot at NBC, Feherty chose to pursue his dream elsewhere. LIV came calling, and he answered.
He said (via National Club Golfer):
“It’s difficult for a player like me to sit in that seat and be thought of in the same way. But we think of golf differently at LIV, as much more of an entertainment (product)."
He went on to praise the tour, saying there's a real "cohesiveness and camaraderie" that he's never seen before. Feherty admitted it was like jumping to a pirate ship, but that everyone worked together in a unique way. That includes players, officials, and media.
As for the players, the former NBC broadcaster said:
"They get it, they get that they’re part of the whole show and I think sometimes that gets lost in other tours around the world where players have a tendency to think the game revolves around them which it does to an extent, but the game is bigger than that and it has to be a show."
Ultimately, Feherty is happy with his move to LIV Golf, and the players have played a big role in making it worth his while.