News
Greg Norman’s plan to change pro golf after $2 billion Saudi boost; PGA Tour blocks LIV releases
On Tuesday, LIV Golf announced a new schedule for 2023-2025 aided by $2bn (£1.6bn) of extra funding from Saudi Arabia.
The new schedule includes 10 events in 2023 followed by 14 events in 2024 and 2025. The tournaments will take place across the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America. In regards to the newly secured funding and schedule, Norman said: “We have a long-term vision and we’re here to stay.”
Speaking to the BBC, the Aussie outlined his plan to change the face of golf with his new tour, saying:
“The whole notion is to changing the look and the whole presentation of the way the game has been played over the last 53 years,” the two times Open champion said. His tournament will be played over 54 rather than 72 holes and will include a team element with players teeing off simultaneously around the course in a “shotgun start”.
“We’ve just got approval to launch our schedule into 2023, 24 and 25. We’ve got $2bn to back that up so we have additional funds in place.”
“And just because we are talking about 23, 24 and 25, we’re looking way beyond that too. We are looking at decades.”
The first event begins on June 9th Centurion Club outside of London.
“We have 19 of the top 100 players committed to Centurion,” Norman stated. “We have five of the top 50, a success rate that a lot of people didn’t think we’d be able to achieve.”
Among the names that have reportedly requested a waiver to play in the event are Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Martin Kaymer.
The entire field for the event is expected to be released next week during the PGA Championship.
Hours after Norman’s intentions went public, the PGA Tour sent a memo to its players telling them that they would deny any requests for releases to play in LIV Golf events and that anyone who does would face disciplinary action:
“We have notified those who have applied that their request has been declined in accordance with the PGA Tour Tournament Regulations. As such, tour members are not authorized to participate in the Saudi Golf League’s London event under our Regulations,. As a membership organization, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the PGA Tour and its players.” PGA Tour Senior Vice President Tyler Dennis wrote to players in the memo
In response, LIV Golf released a statement from CEO Greg Norman calling the Tour “anti-golfer, anti-fan, and anti-competitive”:
“Sadly, the PGA Tour seems intent on denying professional golfers their right to play golf, unless it’s exclusively in a PGA Tour tournament. This is particularly disappointing in light of the Tour’s non-profit status, where its mission is purportedly ‘to promote the common interests of professional tournament golfers.’ Instead, the Tour is intent on perpetuating its illegal monopoly of what should be a free and open market. The Tour’s action is anti-golfer, anti-fan, and anti-competitive. But no matter what obstacles the PGA Tour puts in our way, we will not be stopped. We will continue to give players options that promote the great game of golf globally.”
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Morning 9: 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour | Rory on possible return to policy board
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.
As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.
Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.
General Albums
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #2
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Alex Fitzpatrick – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Austin Cook – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Alejandro Tosti – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- MJ Daffue – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Nate Lashley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- James Nicholas – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Kevin Streelman – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rasmus Hojgaard – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Tom Whitney – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- SangMoon Bae – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Daniel Berger – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rory McIlroy – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Russ Cochrane – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Aldrich Potgieter – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Steve Stricker WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Drew Brees WITB (Legendary New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Thriston Lawrence WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
Pullout Albums
- MJ Daffue’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Cameron putters – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Swag covers ( a few custom for Nick Hardy) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Custom Bettinardi covers for Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Doug Ghim’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Patrick Cantlay spotted testing a Scotty Cameron blade putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
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News
Morning 9: Tiger’s TGL teammates | Woosnam’s criticism of Cantlay | Rory’s return to tour policy board
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Bone Sawman
May 12, 2022 at 5:30 pm
Would Ford or GM chop up their competition and put them in a suitcase and carry them off property!?
Bob
May 11, 2022 at 1:02 pm
Wanted: Dying worthless petrodollars searching for a bagholder.
Rollover told the story 40 years ago.
Tom Newsted
May 11, 2022 at 10:50 am
Another way to look at this would be to say that this is like the NBA or the NHL forbidding players to go play in the European and Asian leagues. Both the NHL and the NBA don’t do that because they know that their leagues is the biggest and brightest stage for a player to be on. If Jay Monahan and the PGA believe that their stage is the biggest and brightest they shouldn’t worry about it. Most Pro players want to play and win majors and to do so they need to win tournaments on the PGA Tour to qualify. To me it shows how insecure the PGA and Monahan really are. I doubt that you would have this huge exodus of players running to the SGL just because the money was a little higher. If I was a pro player I would be measuring my career in wins and major championships not by money or what part of the world I played in.
Michael
May 13, 2022 at 9:32 am
No Tom, that is not another way to look at it. Your comparison makes no sense. Apples to oranges. I certainly hope you make it 100% clear whatever you write is strictly your personal opinion. Your comments here give the impression you don’t know too much about running a business or professional sports leagues. They also make it seem you have a personal grudge against Monahan and that makes it hard to take what you say with any sense of seriousness.
Tom Newsted
May 11, 2022 at 9:31 am
This is an absolute strong arm tactic and it proves what I said in my up coming article that the PGA and more specifically Jay Monahan is a bully. What if he signs a deal with an equipment manufacture is he going to tell the players they can only use a Titleist or Callaway ball because that’s what he wants on his tour? The PGA should welcome the competition as an opportunity to prove its product is better. Or maybe use the competition the SGL would provide as a way to refine and improve on their own brand just like any other businesses do that compete against one another. Would Ford, Chrysler and GM be as good today had they not been forced to improve their product in the 80’s to keep up with the Japanese cars that came into this country? Or to take it back to golf how much better are all the clubs and balls that come out each year because the manufactures have to build better products to compete with one another.
Michael
May 12, 2022 at 10:17 am
The thing about opinions is everyone has one, especially sports journalists.
Your comparisons border on irrelevant. Apples to oranges in just about every example you gave
More accurately, what you are saying is the equivalent of if someone works for Ford, Ford should allow them to go work for GM while they are employed at Ford and them let them come back any time they choose.
Greg Norman is long known as one of the biggest aholes in the world of golf. He is on a revenge mission that will fail and the boy would would be king and all his billions will not change what Norman is, his failures or that Norman is more well known for his Masters choke than two majors.
He and the boy king deserve each other. From your posts, I would think you should join them.
Michael
May 12, 2022 at 1:20 pm
That’s pretty stinky garbage you wrote Tom.
Did you hear Norman press conference today where he dismissed the Kashoggi murder as “a mistake?”
Bob
May 12, 2022 at 6:45 pm
Good for Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée to speak out against the LIV Bonesaw Tour.
This was NOT a mistake Greg. Making an example out of a journalist as a warning to other journalists is NOT a mistake. It is terrorism. Saudi Arabia was the country “officially” most directly connected to 911. What a coincidence.
Satan is rubbing his hands staring at you, Greg.