LIV Golf officially announced Scott O’Neil as its new CEO, replacing Greg Norman as the day-to-day leader of the Saudi-backed circuit.
The move has been known since Thanksgiving, when O’Neil resigned as CEO with Merlin Entertainments, a London-based company that operates upwards of 150 theme parks and resorts throughout the world. Prior to Merlin, O’Neil had experience in the sports world. He was head of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment in 2017, a company formed to manage the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. He was also CEO of the 76ers and was president of Madison Square Garden from 2008-12.
While Norman is out as CEO, LIV announced he will remain in an unnamed capacity with the league.
O’Neil has several challenges ahead as LIV enters its fourth year of existence. LIV has failed to gain an audience with the golf populace, its traditional television metrics so poor with the CW Network that the league stopped reporting them. LIV has been in discussions with Fox Sports regarding moving its product to the cable platform, which sources familiar with Fox tell Golf Digest is part of a packaged consideration with Saudi Arabia, LIV’s financial sponsor. Fox has held soccer World Cup rights in the United States since 2015, and the 2034 games were rewarded to Saudi Arabia following a controversial bidding process. Fox was rumored in discussions with LIV two years ago and partnered with Norman in the 1990s to launch a rival operation to the PGA Tour that ultimately failed to come to fruition. Additionally, for the second time in three years the league has yet to announce any notable additions to its roster. As currently constructed, LIV boasts several marquee attractions in Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith along with formidable players like Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton, but most competitors are rank-and-file names, players well past their primes or those who struggled to keep a tour card. Save for a shocking move in the next two weeks, it appears that will remain the same for 2025.
There remains the potential deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Several outlets have reported a deal is already in place and is waiting for the Trump administration to take office before finalizing, as President-elect Trump’s Department of Justice may be more willing to pass a deal through antitrust regulations. Conversely, President-elect Trump’s golf properties will again be a part of LIV’s schedule, adding to the potential conflicts of the administration greenlighting the deal.
LIV will begin its 14-event season in February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before visits to Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Trump Doral will be the first United States venue in early April.
Main Image: Andy Marlin
