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Reports surfaced on Tuesday that LIV Golf is searching for a new commissioner, per Sports Business Journal. Two-time major champion Greg Norman has held the role since the inception of the tour. Despite acquiring Jon Rahm last year, Norman is out. The Action Network's Brett McMurphy reported that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark was contacted about the role. He reportedly has no interest.
“Big 12 commish Brett Yormark was contacted few months ago by search firm seeking a new CEO for LIV Golf. ‘The call lasted only 1 minute,' a source close to Yormark told [The] Action Network,” McMurphy reported. “‘There was no interest on Yormark's part.' SBJ reported Yormark was among early targets to replace Greg Norman.”
LIV Golf and the PGA TOUR have agreed to work on a deal to merge the tours. While that has not materialized in the 16 months since that announcement, both sides say they are committed to a deal. No one truly knows what that would look like but hiring an outside candidate would show that LIV wants new blood to make the move.
They will have the same issue in hiring a commissioner that they did with attracting some players. For some, the connections to Saudi Arabia are a non-starter. While the report is unclear, it appears that Yormark falls in that camp.
LIV Golf needs new leadership heading into its third season
Greg Norman's primary job was to fill LIV Golf's roster with the best players willing to switch sides. He has done that despite the large number who would not join his tour. His connections to international players as the greatest champion in Australian golf history helped in the matter.
Tiger Woods said that LIV should dump Norman as the commissioner months ago. With Woods as part of the inner circle that is negotiating the deal, the dots can be connected. Yasir Al-Rumayann is the money behind the LIV Golf operation and Norman was a piece he used to give the league a familiar face. When financials and a deal are the conversation, LIV does not need Norman around.
The agreement to make a deal was struck in June of 2023. The original deadline for the agreement was January 1, 2024. They then pushed the made-up deadline to Masters Weekend in April. That week came and went with no deal. We are now closer to the 2025 Masters than the 2024 edition and still no deal. Golf fans will now wait and see who LIV Golf picks as their new commissioner.
