PIF to replace Greg Norman with new CEO for LIV Golf: Reports
As per reports, PIF is set to replace Greg Norman as LIV Golf CEO. The Saudi Arabia fund has reportedly reached out to Odgers Berndtson, a London-based human resources consulting firm, to search for a new CEO.
Norman, a former World No. 1 golfer, has won 20 times on the PGA Tour, including two Open Championships. The Australian great has been LIV Golf's CEO since the league's inception, but that might change soon.
On Tuesday, October 15, the Sports Business Journal reported that PIF was looking to replace Norman as CEO. The process was being handled secretly by the firm. According to reports, they also reached out to Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark as a potential candidate, but the talks didn’t progress.
Earlier in July, Odgers Berndtson helped PIF hire Paul Mitchell as the new sporting director for Newcastle United. Besides Odgers Berndtson, LIV Golf is also working with CAA Sports and Egon Zehnder for other leadership roles. A couple of weeks ago, LIV Golf hired Nike’s Ilana Finley as chief communications officer.
Recently, PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan played together at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. They were accompanied by Rory McIlroy, who has been the face of the PGA Tour's battle with LIV Golf.
DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings was also spotted with them, suggesting a positive sign for the ongoing merger talks.
What will be Greg Norman's future with LIV Golf?
Greg Norman's future with LIV Golf is yet to be decided, but there is speculation that he might be reassigned to a different position, such as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) or Chief Legal Officer (CLO).
Although Norman has been a major force behind the league's success so far, the dynamics have shifted since the merger announcement with the PGA Tour. Both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have previously stated multiple times that 'The Shark' needed to step down before both rival circuits could work together.
Notably, under Greg Norman's leadership, LIV Golf made significant progress and key decisions that pushed the PGA Tour to become more proactive. Last year, they shocked the golf world by signing Jon Rahm for a massive sum.
With these recent developments, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Greg Norman within the LIV Golf circuit.