Jon Rahm believes LIV Golf’s decision to replace Greg Norman with Scott O’Neil as its new chief executive will give the Saudi circuit a “less threatening image” and improve its position amid negotiations for an investment deal with rival PGA Tour. He said this after finishing his participation in Dubai, in a DP World Tour tournament that he was unable to make the cut for.
Jon Rahm, statements
“Unfortunately, there has been a little bit of bad blood, possibly too much, between Greg and maybe the governing bodies,” said Rahm, who joined LIV in December 2023, “and having someone outside of that could help improve the situation.” O’Neil was CEO of Merlin Entertainments and was in charge of the business operations of more than 140 of the company’s attractions. He was previously CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, whose holdings include the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
While LIV Golf returns next month for its fourth season, O’Neil’s priority will likely be finding a solution to the talks between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (LIV’s financial backer) and the PGA Tour. PGA Tour Enterprises and PIF are in talks about the possibility of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund becoming a minority investor, though it remains unclear how that would affect the two leagues or any path toward reuniting golf’s top players after an acrimonious split.
“I think having an outsider (I say outsider because he hasn’t been involved) could be a very good thing when it comes to sitting at the table with the other governing bodies,” Rahm said. “I think an outside perspective, and possibly a less threatening image, could help as well”. And this is all about this situation in the world of golf.
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