"I would rather see it just end" - Greg Norman "gutted" at LIV Golf's demise

Greg Norman says he's "sad" at the current state of LIV Golf and would rather see the breakaway cease to exist than "wither away".

The league, which launched in 2022, has faced an uncertain future since Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew its financial backing in April.

LIV Golf brought the curtain down on its 2026 campaign last week in Indianapolis after its $40m team championship, slated for 27-30 August in Michigan, was cancelled.

Current CEO Scott O'Neil has said new investors have been secured for next season and beyond but acknowledged that player buy-in is critical to completing the transaction. 

If LIV Golf does survive, a trimmed-down schedule of 10 events in 2027 is anticipated, with smaller prize purses.

Norman told Skratch that he's "sad, disappointed and gutted" at LIV's current predicament, adding: "I hate to see it wither away. 

"I would rather just see it end."

Norman became LIV Golf's first chief executive in 2021, taking on the job of selling a new league that promised to challenge the PGA Tour's dominance of professional golf.

LIV launched its first event in London in June 2022, offering huge purses and signing bonuses and introducing a 54-hole, no-cut format and team competition.

Norman became the public face of the breakaway and helped recruit a string of major champions and established stars, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith.

The arrivals triggered a bitter battle with the PGA Tour, which suspended players who joined LIV, while Norman and his organisation accused the established tour of trying to protect its monopoly.

The dispute took an extraordinary turn in June 2023 when the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF announced a framework agreement to work towards a wider deal. 

Norman's position became a sticking point, with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy pushing for his removal to accelerate negotiations. 

Norman remained in charge through the 2024 season, during which LIV continued to sign major names, most notably Jon Rahm.

But the league changed direction in 2025. 

O'Neil was appointed CEO in January, replacing Norman, although the Australian remained involved with LIV for several months. 

His contract expired at the end of August and he formally announced his departure in September.

Norman subsequently described his LIV experience as "mission accomplished".

Whilst he admitted he enjoyed his tenure as CEO of LIV, he also said the job took its toll. 

"It was very draining on me," he previously said. "I was working 100-hour weeks. 

"I'm not going to say all the abuse was anything [of consequence], but what hurt me the most was the lack of understanding of why people would judge me and give the abuse they did. 

"That was the thing that bothered me the most, because I’m the type of guy who will happily sit down and talk about things. 

"And if I'm wrong, I'll admit I'm wrong. But don't judge me. Don't judge what LIV was truly all about."