LIV seeking to replace Greg Norman as CEO: Report

NEW YORK – The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is reportedly interested in moving Greg Norman out of the position of LIV Golf chief executive officer, though not out of the golf league’s offices entirely.

The PIF has contracted a London-based search firm to find a new CEO to succeed Norman, Sports Business Journal reported on Oct 15. PIF has previously utilised the firm, Odgers Berndtson, to hire a sporting director for Newcastle United, the English football club it controls.

Norman’s tenure as the first CEO and figurehead of the controversial golf league has been a rocky one, and there were points in 2022 and 2023 that reports indicated he was on the verge of being dismissed.

But the Sports Business Journal report said Norman “has continued to maintain support from those within LIV” and he is expected to remain in a leadership role of some kind after vacating the CEO post.

LIV completed its third season this fall and has grown to 13 teams of four golfers during Norman’s tenure. Jon Rahm of Spain and Tyrrell Hatton of England were the latest big names to leave the PGA Tour for LIV as the supposed negotiations between the sides on their “framework deal” have crawled.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have said that Norman ought to leave the role in order for LIV to better coexist with the PGA Tour.

Norman, 69, is a former world No. 1 who won the 1986 and 1993 British Open and placed second at least twice at every other Major.

Over on the PGA Tour, Tom Kim is up against history this week.

No player has won the same PGA Tour event three years in a row since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic from 2009 to 2011. Kim is aiming for a three-peat at the Shriners Children’s Open, which begins on Oct 17 in Las Vegas.

“I think it’s a very, very cool week just to be even having a chance of that,” the South Korean said on Oct 15. “I think that’s the coolest part.”

Kim’s last competitive appearance came at the Presidents Cup in September, so he feels his game is sharp entering this week.

Just 22 years old, Kim has three wins on the PGA Tour. After breaking through at the 2022 Wyndham Championship while on a sponsor’s exemption, he went 24 under at the Shriners two months later, beating out the likes of Patrick Cantlay.

He returned in 2023, when the tournament was part of the first-ever FedExCup Fall series, and for the second straight year he shot 62 and 66 over his final two rounds to edge out Adam Hadwin of Canada by a shot.

“I think it’s (about) taking advantage,” Kim said.

“You know... if you plot yourself pretty well the first 12 holes you get to 13, it’s a very, very accessible par-five, really short par-three, drivable par-four, and another par-five right away.

“So there is a lot of birdies out there. You just have to pick and choose when you want to attack. Because you could play the most boring round of six under here. It’s possible. Good ball-striking gets rewarded.”

Kim has more than the potential three-peat on the line.

Though he made the FedExCup play-offs this summer, Kim was the first man out of the top 50 that qualified for the BMW Championship. That meant he is not automatically qualified to all of the 2025 signature events. He has since slipped from No. 51 to No. 55 in the points standings and needs to stay in the 51-60 range to qualify for the first two signature events of 2025.

But Kim said he is not sweating on that yet.

“I looked at my elevated event stats and other than (the Travelers Championship) I didn’t play well in any of them,” Kim said of his 2024 season.

“I made most of my points at Travelers and outside of Travelers, so that’s made me realise, ‘OK, playing good golf outside of the elevated events can get you to a certain point’.

“If I can play well enough I’ll get into elevated enough and good golf there will elevate me even more.” REUTERS