- Greg Norman has been the tour leader for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour since its launch in 2021
- The former world number one is one of the most controversial figures in golf's civil war
- Australian has one year left on deal with Saudi-backed tour
Greg Norman's controversial reign at LIV Golf is coming to an end, with the series set to name a new chief executive.
The Australian has led the Saudi-backed tour since its launch in 2021 and has been one of the most controversial figures in the sport's civil war.
With a ceasefire set to be ratified after 17 months of merger talks between the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, it has now been revealed that LIV will appoint theme park boss Scot O'Neill 'Neil) as his CEO. place. The Daily Mail has contacted LIV for comment.
Poole-based Merlin Entertainments, which owns Alton Towers and Legoland, confirmed on Wednesday that O'Neill would step down as chief executive at the end of the year to pursue “another opportunity”.
It's unclear where O'Neal's arrival will leave Norman, who has one year left on his LIV contract, but is expected to remain on the track in a more limited capacity.
The Australian's agitation for the Rebel Alliance dates back to his days as the world's leading golfer, who faced huge criticism for his role in the game.
Greg Norman's tenure as LIV Golf Tour CEO comes to an end, and the series will name a new CEO
The Australian former world number one is one of the most controversial figures in golf's ongoing civil war
The election of President Donald Trump is expected to speed up agonizingly slow merger talks
But even his critics privately admit he's been surprised by how quickly he's been able to assemble a top-notch roster. The ability to spend more than $2 billion in Saudi money was naturally the most persuasive factor, but the emergence of one of golf's most iconic names in the early days of breakaway was also key.
However, Norman became noticeably less visible in the wake of the 2022 debut season bombshell, and it was long considered inevitable that he would need to step aside in order for the merger to materialize.
Rory McIlroy is one of them, who has targeted the former world number one on several occasions and said two years ago that Norman needed to “step off the left side” so that “adults” could chart a path forward. Therefore, the plan to appoint O'Neal, the former CEO of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, will be considered to help achieve this goal.
While reports on the merger's progress have been sparse and all parties are committed to keeping details secret, the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president is expected to speed up the glacial process.
