Report: Norman Set To Be Dropped As LIV Golf CEO
There is speculation Greg Norman's days as the Saudi-backed organisation's frontman could be numbered
Greg Norman has endured a barrage of criticism in recent days after comments he made that appeared to downplay the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Now, according to one prominent journalist, his days as the frontman for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series could be numbered.
In a Q&A on The Fire Pit Collective, golf journalist and author of an unauthorised biography Phil Mickelson, Alan Shipnuck, says he thinks Norman could be replaced. In response to a question about Mickelson’s association with the series, Shipnuck said: “A prominent Tour agent recently confided that he is hearing Norman is on the outs with the Saudis, which would be another wild development in this saga. If a leadership change is imminent with LIV Golf, that would be all the more reason for Mickelson to pass on the PGA Championship and take more time to assess a chaotic situation.”
Facts about Greg Norman
Last week, during a media day ahead of the inaugural series beginning on 9 June at the Centurion Club near London, Norman said of the Khassoggi murder: "Everybody has owned up to it, right? It has been spoken about, from what I've read, going on what you guys reported. Take ownership, no matter what it is. Look, we've all made mistakes and you just want to learn from those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward."
Those comments were met with a substantial backlash, including from Amnesty International, which, in an exclusive with The Guardian, condemned them as “wrong and seriously misguided.” LIV Golf Investments responded to the remarks in a statement to Golf Monthly, which read: "The killing of Jamal Khashoggi was reprehensible. Everyone agrees about that, including Greg and he has said as such previously on many occasions. Greg also knows that golf is a force for good around the world and can help make inroads toward positive change. That is why he is so excited about LIV and that was the point he was making."
Nevertheless, if Shipnuck’s source is correct, it seems as though Norman's controversial tenure as LIV Golf CEO could soon come to an end. If that happens, it would mark yet another twist in the long-running saga.
We have reached out to LIV Golf and are awaiting their response.
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Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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