Reports that LIV Golf is looking to oust CEO Greg Norman from that role are “patently false,” the golf league said Friday.
In a statement to Sports Illustrated, LIV Golf managing director Majed Al-Sorour said, “Greg Norman is our CEO and Commissioner. Any suggestion that changes are being made to Greg’s title or role is patently false.”
The Telegraph’s James Corrigan reported Thursday that LIV’s owners were targeting Taco Bell CEO Mark King to replace Norman. The 60-year-old King has top-level ties within the golf world, formerly serving as the CEO of golf equipment manufacturer TaylorMade.
The Saudi-backed LIV Golf League had mixed results in its first season. luring some of the PGA Tour’s top stars with lucrative payouts. Among the stars making the leap were Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
But LIV dealt with controversy throughout the eight-tournament season, often concerning human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. The tour also struggled to attract viewers and had to give away tickets to events.
It’s hard to lay the blame for all that on Norman, who provided the tour with a recognizable face and star power in its first season. Yet he also made a number of mistakes, including his comments brushing off Saudi human rights violations.
LIV Golf will expand to a 14-tournament schedule in 2023.
