The legend of the Australian golf Greg Norman led the largest wedge of his career in the middle of the world of world golf, but the great white shark does not regret its role in the Golf of Liv and the civil war of sport.
The Rebel Liv Liv Golf tour was launched in 2021, backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia.
It was created to challenge the PGA TOUR with a new format with shorter events, team competitions and record awards.
In October 2021, Greg Norman, twice an important champion, was appointed CEO and commissioner, leading the development and recruitment of tour players.
The first official Golf Liv invitation event took place in June 2022 at the Centurion Club in England, offering a $ 25 million bag and attracting big names such as Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Bryson Dechambeau.
With its format of 54 holes, beginnings of shotgun and equipment competition structure, Liv Golf is distinguished from traditional tournaments, but also caused great controversy.
Greg Norman has said challenging that he has no retreat and that he was right when driving the LIV golf.
Liv Golf Rebel Tour changed the face of the golf, bringing great and huge crowds and a party atmosphere
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour responded by prohibiting the players who deserted, causing legal battles for suspensions and rights of the players.
In October 2022, Liv Golf announced its evolution in the LIV Golf League by 2023, with 14 events with 12 permanent teams and captains.
The biggest turn occurred on June 6, 2023, when the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Arabia PIF announced a proposed fusion to unify the sport and end the ongoing litigation.
Scott O'Neil replaced Greg Norman as the LIV CEO in January 2024, after the speculation that began after the peace agreement proposed with the PGA Tour in 2023.
While the efforts to end the fusion continue, Norman has distanced itself from negotiations to focus on the independent growth of LIV
So now with the greatest civil war of sport, Norman has three words to say while preparing to leave Liv Golf – “we were right.”
“I'm very proud of the fact that I opened the golf game,” Norman told NOTS CORP.
'I have always believed that golf should be a global sport and not controlled by an entity.
Norman has come out of his role in Liv Golf with the Rebel Tour now in negotiations to merge with the PGA Tour
'I would say that I am very proud of the fact that private capital suit to the game … and gave these young children today, that they are the captains and that they are playing in the LIV league today, an opportunity to leave behind another zero their zero Bank account, which we never had.
'Although all this white and rhetorical noise that takes place between that side and this side, everyone will sit.
'At first, everyone thought they were intelligent in what they said. And now they are realizing that, we heard, we were right. And it will take time to admit that.
In the apogee of the controversy surrounding the Liv Golf, Greg Norman was prohibited from the 2022 British Open by the R&A to avoid distractions.
The decision highlighted the deep division between the traditional institutions of golf and the separatist movement of LIV.
Norman, a twice champion open, described the disappointing movement, but remained challenging in his support for Liv Golf's vision.
'Everything works. You have to have the patience, you have to have the business model, you must have the execution and you have to have belief and tolerance, “said the 69 -year -old.
'I have taken many bullets. I mean, to be honest with you, things that I did not enjoy for three years. I still take some bullets, but they are from people who really have no idea what they are talking about. '
“I am very happy to sit with someone at any time to talk about what Liv represents the golf game, which Liv has done to the golf game to this day and where we are going.”