The breakaway LIV Golf tour has appointed experienced sports executive Scott O’Neill to the role of chief executive officer (CEO), with current CEO Greg Norman stepping down immediately.
O’Neill most recently served as CEO at the Merlin Entertainments amusement park and resort operator (since November 2022), and stepped down from that role at the end of 2024 to facilitate his move to LIV Golf. His arrival at LIV to replace Norman, with the series about to enter its fourth season, was first reported in late November.
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Prior to that, he worked as chief executive of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers franchise between 2013 and 2021, eventually overseeing the New Jersey Devils NHL team too as chief executive of the overall Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment group. In his time at HBSE, O’Neill was in charge during a period of growth for the business, with “$2 billion of growth in enterprise value” coming under his watch.
The new LIV Golf CEO has also previously spent time as the president of the iconic Madison Square Garden sports and entertainment venue in New York City.
Speaking on his appointment, O’Neill said: “What LIV Golf has achieved in just three years is remarkable – the game has been infused with a long overdue bolt of energy and innovation with the team model, players have increased freedom and rights, fans are getting the access they have always wanted, and the game has been brought to new markets that have been desperate for elite golf for decades.
“There has never been a better time to unlock real financial investment, bring team golf and innovation to the forefront, drastically lower the fan age demographic, and put fan experience and fun at the center of everything we do. LIV Golf represents the future of the sport and will ensure the future of the golf ecosystem for years to come.”
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By GlobalDataOutgoing CEO Norman, one of the competition’s main architects, will remain involved with the tour in some capacity, likely to aid in the CEO transition, but will no longer be in charge of its day-to-day operation.
His contract with LIV was set to run through August 2025, and it was expected that he would wait until that point to allow for a transition period with O’Neill coming in at the start of the year.
Norman, meanwhile, was very much the public face of LIV Golf – which controversially got underway in June 2022 and is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – during its early days. He was unveiled as the CEO of LIV Golf Investments in October 2021, having begun his duties in the weeks and months leading up to that announcement.
He was heavily involved in the recruitment of a number of high-profile players from the top-tier PGA Tour, with LIV offering stars massive financial incentives to sign contracts with that league instead – although they were then banned from most PGA Tour events.
Guaranteed contracts are, in some cases, worth more than $100 million.
Norman, a 69-year-old former golfing Hall of Famer, has been a colorful figure during his time at the helm of LIV, having regularly made public derogatory comments about rival tours.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Australia’s free-to-air Seven Network has renewed its broadcast agreement with LIV Golf.
