PGA Tour Planning For Greg Norman To Be Terminated As LIV Golf CEO Under PIF Deal

As part of its agreement with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, the PGA Tour wanted LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to be terminated from his position.

The senate hearing on the framework deal and the future of the PGA Tour's alliance with LIV Golf's backers begun today in Washington, DC. 

PGA Tour Chief Operating Officer Ron Price and Board Member Jimmy Dunne were present to answer questions on the tour's behalf, with Senator Blumenthal revealing that documents showed it was planned that Greg Norman would be removed from his position as LIV Golf CEO was part of the proposal.

"I went out to meet (Yasir Al-Rumayyan) and unlike everyone else, he said he respected how (the PGA Tour) did things, and I was surprised by that," Dunne said of his meeting with PIF Governor.

Later in the hearing, Chief Operating Officer Ron Price confirmed that Norman would be out of a job according to the current plans.

"The LIV Golf assets of which Greg Norman is currently the commissioner will move to the PGA Tour subsidiary and those events will be managed by the PGA Tour," he said.

"It would make no sense to bring in that type of an executive to manage what now is 14 events. If we reach a definitive agreement we would not have a requirement for that type of position."

Appendix 13 of the documents in relation to the agreement also shows how the PGA Tour will not be requiring Norman's services.

“In connection with the execution of the Framework Agreement, the Parties hereby agree that the services provided by Greg Norman and Performance 54 to LIV will cease upon the management transition to the PGA Tour contemplated by the Framework Agreement and in any event by no later than one month thereafter," an email from Ed Herlihy to Mike S Klein, a PIF representative, read.

According to appendix 15 in the framework agreement documents, "Norman would be reassigned to an advisory role determined by PIF when the PGA Tour becomes the manager of the LIV Tour."

Both Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods had previously called for Greg Norman to go.

"I think from whatever happens with those two things [lawsuits], there's a few things that I would like to see on the LIV side that needs to happen," McIlroy said in November. "I think Greg needs to go, to exit stage left. He’s made his mark but I think now is the right time to say you’ve got this thing off the ground, but no-one is going to talk unless there’s an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences.

"If those two things happen, then things can happen. But right now, it's a stalemate because there can't be any other way. Hopefully something can happen, who knows."

Speaking before the Hero World Challenge at the end of November, 15-time Major winner Woods, when asked if LIV and the PGA Tour could coexist, said: “Not right now. Not with their leadership. Not with Greg there and his animosity towards the Tour itself. I don’t see that happening. As Rory said and I said it as well, Greg’s got to leave.”

In January, Norman responded by calling Woods a "mouthpiece for the PGA Tour."

Speaking on Fox News' 'One Nation with Brian Kilmeade', the Australian stated that: "I think it's sad for Tiger that unfortunately he made a comment that he doesn't know the facts about, because obviously I'm still here. 

"Obviously, he doesn't control what we do within LIV. So just making those comments, I think, is an indication that he might be a bit of a mouthpiece for the PGA Tour to try to get us to create turmoil created internally within LIV." 

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