Legend claims LIV would ruin women’s game

Greg Norman revealed last April that LIV Golf was considering creating a women’s tour to sit alongside its men’s circuit. 

At that time, Norman claimed that talks were ongoing on a “regular basis” over a potential LIV ladies series in the future.

“I have personally had discussions with individual LPGA Tour players, Ladies European Tour players, the Ladies European Tour,” he said.

“They love what our product is showcasing. They ask all the time, ‘how can we get involved?’ We’d love to see a LIV ladies series.”

It is unclear whether those talks have progressed, but Annika Sorenstam has now outlined why a LIV league wouldn’t be such a good idea for the ladies game.

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Women’s golf is already benefitting from investment made from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) which bankrolls LIV, via the Aramco Team Series, a lucrative team competition made up of seven with elevated prize funds.

And with a merger deal currently on the table to bring together the LPGA and Ladies European Tour, 10-time major winner Sorenstam thinks the women’s golf ecosystem would become “too crowded” with an additional LIV series.

“LIV Golf for the men, I think there is room for it,’ the Swede told the Daily Mail. “It’s just that the lines are not clear, right?

“I thought in the beginning that there was a certain group of people that would go to LIV – the 40+, so to speak. It’s the next phase in their life.

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“But then, that hasn’t been the case. It’s now just very cloudy. I don’t even know who it’s for and how they’re going to do it.

“As far as LIV Golf for women, we already have the Aramco series, and I think they have fit in well and why not give the ladies a chance to play for other opportunities.

“But I do think it gets crowded or would take away from the existing events, if there were more events or more players went, because you need the top players for LPGA to have the sponsorships. So if you only have half of them, then then that will be an issue. So I would love to see it, like it is today.

“It’s working and if they expand, well, hopefully they will continue to work together. Because women don’t have as many opportunities, so we shouldn’t be ruining what we have.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.