Greg Norman had a really good interview this week regarding LIV. he said that he felt the PGA made their own bed and couldn't see what was going on and, really, needed. With the world becoming smaller, other pro sports have gone international. While there was ample golf in Europe, Korea, Australia, South Africa and the USA most other areas have been ignored. The Middle East, China, and India account for 2/3rds of the world's population. The PGA was doing very little to nothing to expand the game. In the meantime, players were getting upset that the PGA kept increasing requirements so that top end guys, who are aging (think Micholson and Keopka) have lives as fathers and can't maintain the road riggers. But if they want to compete in the FedEx Cup, have to play a ton of events.
Today, with LIV, they are scheduling events all over the world. Golf is booming worldwide. $300m has been invested in SE Asia. Vietnam is building golf courses.
While the media has chosen to brand LIV as "blood money", Norman feels it is the opposite. It is another sport that will create common interests and bring people together. He said he knew that he has two legacies: one as a top end golfer and one as the founder of LIV. He knew his lasting legacy would be LIV and his golf game would be eclipsed by his participation in LIV. He may or may not live to see LIV prosper but is comfortable that LIV will be seen as a tremendous growth strategy for the game. He says the LIV players see it already.
Lastly, he feels that the PGA embracing LIV like they have the Euro Tour would help the sport advance. Why they saw it as a potentially damaging league, he has no idea. In the end, golf is a sport. Sport is a competition. Why would the PGA be afraid of competition?
Interesting food for thought. PGA had gotten fat and closed. They stopped listening and evolving. He The growth of golf has little to nothing to do with LIV, and very little of what LIV does is growing the game. The DP World has been playing the in same places