The PGA Tour will have eight Signature events in 2026, which will hand out $20 million in prize money. This is the most lucrative the Tour has been in its entire history. The likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, & Co. are earning more money than ever by winning big events. Looking at how things are progressing, it is only going to grow in the future. However, all this wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for LIV Golf. And Greg Norman is taking all the credit for that.

The former LIV Golf boss shared an interesting post recently discussing his journey with LIV Golf. That included an article in The Wall Street Journal by Andrew Beaton that discussed Norman’s views on how the landscape of golf has changed since 2022. As mentioned in the article, LIV Golf may not have been as successful as the Great White Shark might have imagined. But it still helped its pros gain huge paydays. Moreover, LIV Golf’s existence increased the purses in PGA Tour events as well. Hence, those who didn’t end up jumping ship also earned big paychecks from their efforts on the Tour and indirectly benefited from Norman’s hard work.

“Just look at the impact that it’s had on the PGA Tour. It’s changed for the betterment of the players,” Norman said. Frankly, it’s hard to disagree with him. The PGA Tour is extremely lucrative and far more exciting for the pros than it ever was before 2022. The existence of LIV Golf increases the options the players have as well. Just look at Scottie Scheffler alone, who has found immense success during this period. He has been able to earn a whopping $195 million through his on-course efforts.

The former LIV Golf CEO talked about how the emergence of the Saudi-based league increased the value of the PGA Tour. It brought in brands worth billions, which injected money into golf. They attracted notable companies like Discover South Carolina, Genesis, Pacific Line, Mayo Clinic, Dream Finders, and many others. Moreover, with a business expert like Brian Rolapp now at the helm, Norman believes that they can grow exponentially.

Speaking of the rival league’s star player, “If Scottie Scheffler made $100 million a year, I’d be happy days. If Scottie Scheffler made $100 million a year, I’d be happy days.” Scheffler has certainly achieved a lot of success since 2022. However, the financial gains he has achieved over the last four years wouldn’t have been possible without LIV Golf’s existence. Approximately, his earnings would have dropped by around 25-30%. That’s about a $50-60 million difference.

Greg Norman certainly deserves credit for shaking things up in golf. But the Great White Shark also held LIV Golf back in many ways. And his replacement has been able to expose those issues about him recently.

Top Stories

Phil Mickelson Backs Hollywood Actor Amid Criticism Surrounding His Daughter’s Pro Tour Debut

‘Pretty Pissed’: Harris English Finally Admits Frustration Over Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup Decision

Justin Thomas Sends Public Message as Fellow Pros Fight to Save PGA Tour Cards

Victor Perez’s LIV Golf Move Doesn’t Sit Right With Golf Fans: ‘Another Victim’

Despite his achievements, Greg Norman was also a huge roadblock for LIV Golf

Yes, Greg Norman was a fearless leader of LIV Golf for its first three seasons. However, he made some promises to his players and the league that he couldn’t keep until the end of his regime. And once Scott O’Neil started taking care of them, it showed that Norman was the one who created the problems in the first place.

Under his leadership, LIV Golf had never earned the respect of the fans in the golf community. It didn’t get close to getting its events sanctioned. And the players always felt betrayed because of the false promises he made about them. But O’Neil was welcomed into the circle of leaders with open arms. He was able to cultivate great relationships with everyone. He increased the qualification quota of the Promotions event from 1 to 2 to open doors to more players. They also changed the format of their events from 54 holes to 72 holes.

The new CEO is doing everything he can to help LIV Golf tournaments get sanctioned. In the process, he’s also exposing how Greg Norman’s resistance towards certain changes held back the league during his regime.