Greg Norman’s decision not to create a league for golf to compete with the PGA Tour was met with a lot of animosity by many golfers.
Norman spoke with Steven Levitt about his experiences with People Who (Mostly) Admire podcast. He shared that he has lost some friends as a result of LIV’s emergence.
“Some of my dearest friends won’t even talk to me because I do this. It’s their decision. Happy days if you don’t wish to talk to me again.
Norman sees LIV as a positive development in golf despite the fact that LIV is clearly disruptive.
It is the greatest thing that has ever happened to golf in more than 53 years.
“And if you look back, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus broke away from the PGA of America that became the PGA Tour. What made them do it? They did it as players. They have all their rights to compete. This is the same as what we do today.
LIV Golf has 12 captains who own 25% of their “franchise”, the remainder being owned by the league.
“So, we now have 12 principal players. The franchise is 25 percent owned by the 12 principal players. It is 75 percent owned by the league. The league owns 75 percent. Now the principal player is responsible to his P&L. It’s no different from any NFL team. They are responsible for their P&L, profit and loss. He must hire people to manage his team.
This week, LIV Mexico will debut its second season. The league’s controversial format will be played at El Camaleon Golf Club Course in Mayakoba. The tournament will be held February 24-26.
