Greg Norman reacts to PGA Tour/LIV Golf merger

LIV Golf boss Greg Norman has broken his silence on the shock announcement that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Public Investment Fund (PIF) have joined forces.

Norman took to Twitter last night as ‘the shark’ celebrated the cohesion between golf’s establishment and the breakaway circuit.

He tweeted: “A great day in global golf for players and fans alike. The journey continues!!”

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The Australian has pulled no punches since the inception of his Saudi-backed golf league but was amiss from the extraordinary statement released yesterday.

LIV’s CEO and commissioner also had little notice of the merger, as he learned about the latest twist to golf’s civil war only minutes before the news became public.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the figurehead of the PIF, was interviewed by CNBC on Tuesday, and said he contacted the Hall of Famer before the world knew.

He said: “I made a call just before this and of course, he is a partner with us, and all the stakeholders that we have with us they had the call right before this interview.”

Despite his monumental influence on the transformational developments, Sports Illustrated report that Norman is ‘not expected to be part of the venture going forward’.

LIV Golf’s 2023 schedule will continue, but uncertainty still hangs over the future of professional men’s golf and its format.

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Norman became the LIV leader in 2021 before the 54-hole, no-cut events, with eyewatering purses teed off a year later.

The 68-year-old has vociferously defended his invitational series amid the ongoing battle, and the tours have now reached a point where all litigation has been dropped.

It appears that the world’s best players will once again play together at major championships, after LIV Golf’s ongoing battle to secure world ranking points.

LIV rebels have won two of the last three majors. Brooks Koepka lifted the PGA Championship last month, while Cameron Smith won last year’s Open Championship.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.