'You'd Be Mad Not To Consider It' - Charley Hull On Women's LIV Golf

LIV Golf has been the big talking point in the men's professional game throughout 2022, but now rumours have been circulating of a possible women's league, with LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman, recently insisting that a women's golf league is in the "forefront of my mind".

In an interview with Sky Sports, recent LPGA Tour winner Charley Hull stated that "you'd be mad not to consider it" when discussing the thought of LIV Golf and the potential start of a new women's league, but maintained she is happy on the LPGA Tour.

In the interview, the 26-year-old stated: "I haven't heard anything yet but, at the end of the day, you'd be mad not to consider it. However, I am happy with the LPGA Tour and everyone there."

Back at the end of July, LPGA Tour Commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, revealed the organization is open to the idea of working with LIV Golf. According to a report in The Times, Marcoux Samaan appears keen to engage with LIV Golf if it can help promote the women’s game. 

In the article, she said: “It’s my responsibility to evaluate every opportunity. I would engage in a conversation if it would achieve our aim of promoting women’s golf, but there needs to be input from players and sponsors. There’s a lot of factors to consider before we do business with LIV Golf.”

Whilst the financial investment of the Saudi-backed organization could raise the profile, and purses, of the women’s game, it is not without controversy, especially with how the Series has stemmed from the origin of its finances, with many advocacy groups accusing players of sportswashing human rights atrocities within the Kingdom.

Although there has been talk of a women's LIV Golf league, the immediate focus for Norman is the launch of the 2023 Men's Golf League: "Right now, to be honest with you, I’m completely locked and loaded with what we’re doing because we’re launching the [men’s] league in 2023, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to get that up and running."

The LIV Golf Series will rebrand to the LIV Golf League from 2023, with 48 players and 12 established team franchises competing in an expanded 14-tournament schedule – and an enormous $405m total prize purse, a huge increase on the $225m on offer for this year’s eight-tournament Series.