Greg Norman tells LIV Golf staff “we’re not going anywhere”

Greg Norman sent a defiant message to his LIV Golf staff amid doubts over the fledgling league’s future following the sport’s shock merger.

Sports Illustrated reports that Norman has has hailed his series for “changing history” and bullishly told his workers: “We’re not going anywhere.”

The name of the LIV commissioner was conspicuous by its absence in a seismic 1,030 word statement that sent shockwaves through golf on Tuesday.

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The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have formed an alliance with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in a sensational move that will see the Gulf State effectively control golf at the highest level.

But there is now growing uncertainty over what that means for Norman and the LIV enterprise, with no recognition yet for the Australian on the board of an unnamed new for-profit entity made to “unite the game.”

Norman, however, reportedly maintained in a call with up to 100 LIV employees that it is very much business as usual, with planning already underway for a 2025 schedule.

A great day in global golf for players and fans alike. The journey continues!!

— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) June 6, 2023

“The spigot is now wide open for commercial sponsorships, blue-chip companies, TV networks,” Norman said, according to a source speaking to SI.

“LIV is and will continue to be a standalone enterprise. Our business model will not change. We changed history and we’re not going anywhere.”

Rory McIlroy told Norman to “exit stage left” in November for a peace settlement to be agreed between golf’s warring factions, and there is a growing feeling that the 68-year-old’s time in the spotlight could soon be coming to an end.

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McIlroy said yesterday that he still despises LIV and does not expect the controversial model to continue under the new entity.

“I still hate LIV. I hope it goes away,” the Northern Irishman reiterated. “And I fully expect that it does. … It’s very different from LIV.

“I’ve tried to protect what the PGA Tour is and what the PGA Tour stands for. There may be a team element, but I don’t think it will look anything like LIV has looked. And I think that’s a good thing.”

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.