Greg Norman Breaks His Silence | LIV Golf, Legacy, and What Comes Next
Sixteen-time major contender. 331 weeks as World No. 1. Global businessman. Lightning rod.
Jimmy Roberts sits down with Greg Norman for one of the most candid conversations of his career — covering golf, power, private equity, and the decisions that reshaped the sport.
Norman opens up about his time leading LIV Golf, the criticism he faced, and why he still believes the disruption was necessary. He explains how player free agency, team ownership, and private investment changed the business of golf — and why those forces aren’t going away.
Beyond LIV, Norman dives into his global business empire, from course design and apparel to real estate, wine, and tourism development. He shares lessons learned from mentors like Paul Fireman, the biggest business mistake he ever made, and how golf has become a catalyst for economic growth around the world — from Australia to Southeast Asia.
This is not a soundbite interview. It’s a wide-ranging look at legacy, leadership, risk, and what the future of golf — and sport — may actually look like.
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Another example of his false love and growth for the game is when he mentions the new courses and resorts he's investing in and building in Vietnam….these courses are so expensive no local young kids or adults can afford to play these courses….only rich Koreans and Japanese that fly in for the weekend. This is strictly a money making exercise and further restricting the would be golfers in Vietnam from accessing a course. How about you actually honour what you say and for each luxury golf resort you build, build a basic course nearby that locals and middle income tourists can access and play at, this would actually grow the game and enrich the country.
Put bluntly: LIV can exist as long as the funding source wants it to exist—but that’s not the same thing as a healthy standalone business.
The choker who took out his pathetic lack of talent in real golf by robbing it of the traditions he has no idea about. An utter piece of crud
Jay Monahan is just another idiot
LIV golf is like Formula 1. It's popular oversees but not in America. Indy Car is the open wheel thing in America
I encourage everyone to reach out to Gary Brecka who suffers from ALS
The pga was stagnant and taking advantage of the players, thats why Phil Mickelson left and LIV FORCED the PGA to change. Private investment, player equity and prize money more than doubled because of LIV. People need to wakeup and realize Jay monaghan was lying and attacking LIV because he didnt wanna change his business model and was afraid of competition.
This idiot Norman doesnt deserve the time of day unless were watching his Masters choke job
At the end you mentioned Peter Broome and his efforts with ALS?
Such a horrible disease.
You mentioned Peter Broome has started a Foundation to raise awareness and funds? I would love to know more. Well done, good interview with Greg Norman,
Greg is and always was a self serving asshole.
Greg is great. Just ask him
Australia's Tiger Woods, a brilliant player, but lacked nerves on the majors. No much about LIV -misleading – more about how great I am as Great Norman and how much money I have (but I think LIV will not survive), and, you can see he doesn't think LIV will last, clearly. But I only won 2 majors because the nerves got to me and I would get nervous and to slice right in all majors I should have one down the last few holes (about 4 ) – Nick Faldo was grateful.
Greg’s business relationships never go well long term. It was so obvious that Greg will end up being moved on as the Saudis begin to think that they can run the show on their own. (Happened with the UAE crowd in horse racing too )
It was always going to end in tears. Greg was used by the Saudis big time .
When it comes to growing the game of golf worldwide, no one comes close to Greg Norman. No one.
Americans have an American view of the world. The world has a global view of the world – Norman has a global sustainable view of golf while PGA and their supporters liken PGA to NFL and NBA. Norman is all time great!
Helping to create a rival tour and then to poach PGA Tour players with huge piles of cash was never going to go down well.
The main issue is golf is an inherently Individual sport. Look at the TV and live gate numbers for the traditional Majors vs. LIV. I've been an avid golfer and fan but have never wanted to watch a LIV event. 'Silly Season' cones to mind .
Thank you Greg for bringing top level golf back to Australia.
The PGA deserted us.
Growth, innovate, execute… it’s golf,man. It’s a simple game and has a questionable saturation point as media entertainment. I can only imagine someone dumping money into a new football league to try and compete with the NFL. The math ain’t mathing. A better avenue for LIV would seem to be a developmental worldwide league. Use the poaching budget to develop players and give them somewhere to play. Make it so players can make a living wage. Explore team play? Sure…but why not coach the developing players into business team building and tangent opportunities? Be more than a sports Hollywood that discards its players as they move past playing. Integrate former players into operators and give them a future after playing. The PGAT serves very few players compared to the talent pool available…and many of the players are only entertaining to the degree they can execute golf shots. YouTube golf understands this…but the ability to play great golf will likely overtake the jokers that can’t really stick it. YouTube golf is quickly becoming a flock of parrots that add nothing new, and now that the new is gone…Grass league golf is entertaining as hell. Good players, fun event. So is the Tito’s short track event in Austin. In the end it’s entertainment. People seem to want to put golf on a pedestal like it’s so much more. Let the traditions march on, and make sure a meritocracy chooses the best to pursue them. I just think the best opportunities lie in something other than direct competition with the PGAT. Golf can stay true to roots while also moving on.
The ‘virgin space’ he speaks of is the team aspect. However teams need to mean something to their supporters. One of the main reasons to support a team is geographical location and proximity to be able to support said team, at least on home territory. I can see they have tried to make connections with players based on nationality but it hasn’t worked. There is no home ground and matches directly against other teams as in most other team sports that really work. It has just been a 3 day stroke play event like most other golf events. With the shot gun start it means, when at the venue, you can either see all the players and none of the course or, all the course and very few players. It also creates congestion getting in and out as everyone is arriving at the same time. The JCB event in 2024 had a delayed start because even the players couldn’t get in.
Just doesn’t work for me, but it has also detracted from watching other events now as the fields are now weaker for all. They are also not independent contractors as they have LIV contacts dictating play. Business models demand some field strength guarantees for sponsors and tv contacts so players will always have to be somewhat tied to a tour and have obligations to events they must play in. If they don’t want that then the purses drop. Whichever way you look at it the players, immensely talented as they are, are also greedy and forget that, for the most part, their wages eventually, albeit mainly indirectly, come from ordinary members of the public
The rats are jumping ship so I guess his vision is sunk
Ok so team golf maybe viable, but why? Does golf need it? Will it "grow" the game? As a fan I am a bit of a traditionalist and like golf as an individual sport. The team concept doesn't appeal to me. If I want a team sport I will watch college football.
I always liked Greg, but I also separate the art from the artist. I think that nobody has reached out to him to talk says more about him, then them unfortunately. Ok, so we have heard from him. How about the people that know him and have done business with him? It would be more interesting to hear from them. Greg was an incredible golfer but I have a feeling he probably is not so great as a friend and business partner. Just my opinion.
I looked up to Greg Norman but he turned on those and bit them , I care not for him or any of Thier tour liv players ,Fine they went for more money and less rounds fine . BUT THEY SHOULD NOT IN ANY FORM BE ALLOWED ON OR TO ENTER ANY EUROPIAN GOLF ,I HOPE THE RYDER CUP IS NO MORE AFTER THE LAST VIOLENT RYDER CUP , I Would TELL THE AMERICANS TO SHOVE IT ,
I THINK SOME AMERICANS WILL BE SHOT IN IRELAND IN THE NEXT ONE BECAUSE THEY DID THAT TO THIER OWN PLAYERS , I THINK CHEATING USGA AND LIVE SHOULD GO , WE EUROPE SHOULD HAVE OUR OWN FORM OF THE RYDER CUP AND INCLUDE ANY COUNTRY OTHER THAN AMERICANS AND LIV. THE USGA DOES NOT PUNISH ITS CHEATS , WOODS broke a mushroom in a practice swing MICHELSON ball did not come to rest THOMPSON bending grass and not putting her marker back in the correct place REED self admitted cheat SPRANIAC bending and flattening the grass for her team mate MO slope on , the USGA did nothing .
He seems lost to me. He’s talking in circles and riddles. He missies being adored, me thinks.
A very good interview! Surprised in a good way to watch a high school graduate with profound knowledge & understanding in business and brilliant international vision in golf.
This guy was already worth hundreds of millions. Why go through all of these corporate headaches? Why go to the Saudis. Invest and go coach college golf somewhere.
What an egoist. He plays the martyr so well but, in REALITY, he took billions from a murderous regime that has spent tens of billions of dollars in an attempt to cleanse and purify it's tainted and repressive Islamic monarchy. It's pathetic that he can't admit that he tried to destroy the tour that made him by BUYING as many PGA stars as he could! Norman is a complete farce living in his own narcissistic world where he sees himself as the self proclaimed visionary and savior. The fact is LIV has failed, nobody watches it and Norman has personally failed in his vengeful attempt to take down the PGA Tour. And, he's the most hated man in golf.
I'll judge Greg Norman. My judgment is that he is awesome.
I like Greg Norman, i have never watched liv golf, but i think the pga was wrong in their reactions to liv