After Jimmy Dunne Horror, Greg Norman & Co Twist the Knife in PGA Tour’s Wounds With Latest Move

The adverse effects of golf’s exhausting civil war continue to overshadow the PGA Tour. While Jay Monahan and Co. grapple with one unexpected setback after another, the reality on LIV Golf’s end seems to convey a different story. This dichotomous experience of the North Pole and South Pole of the golf world is almost a pattern by now. Everything that has gone down ever since June 6, 2023, tells a crippling story. The trust of golfers was broken, authority was shifted, and jabs were shot.

Amidst all this, the tour loyalist, Rory McIlroy, resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board. He was supposed to make a comeback, courtesy of Webb Simpson, but did not, as a few golfers were “uncomfortable.” Needless to say, the $3 billion amalgamation has been stretched a lot. It was supposed to get finalized by December 31, 2023, but it did not! It got extended to the 2024 Masters. That has been done for over a month, and there is still no sign of deal completion. As a result, people are now losing patience.

The PGA Tour is currently recovering from Jimmy Dunne’s resignation from its policy board (another adverse side effect of the long-impending merger). Dunne cited the lack of progress on a potential deal with PIF along with the transformation of his once important role on the policy board into an “utterly superfluous” role as his resignation reason. But why does he opine that? Well, this is due to the addition of Player Directors, who now outnumber the Independent Directors on the Board, which, according to Dunne, has overshadowed his once glorious role.

Dunne was one of the primary architects behind the PGA Tour’s framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. He is the vice chairman and senior managing principal of Piper Sandler. Dunne is also an avid golfer who holds membership to some of the most prestigious clubs in the country, such as Augusta National, Pine Valley, National Golf Links, and Seminole Golf Club. This indeed made him one of golf’s biggest insiders. At the time of the 9/11 attacks, Dunne was attempting to qualify for the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Luckily, he was not present at the World Trade Center (his office).

Amidst the air of shock that the architect of the PGA Tour-PIF Framework Agreement’s resignation has cast upon Jay Monahan, Greg Norman-led LIV Golf continues to expand its business. Yes, you read it right. Adding to its already long list of top-level executive changes, such as adding PepsiCo’s top personnel, the Saudi-backed endeavor has now decided to transition into a new and bigger office space situated at 50 Hudson Yards in New York.

The 28,000-square-foot space is expected to accommodate more than 100 employees for the growing league, as opposed to its previous office situated near Grand Central Station, which could house only 25 people. The disastrous signs of the said unprecedented delay seem to be shining brighter on the PGA Tour than on LIV Golf. While the Tour continues to lose executive talent from its high-level ranks, LIV Golf continues to onboard sharp brains to expand its business. But who are the big business names that now transpire to make LIV Golf great?

LIV Golf’s calculated new executive-level additions

Over the past couple of months, LIV Golf has left no stone unturned in giving its frenemy, the PGA Tour, a fight to remember. The latest addition to the Greg Norman-led league is former PepsiCo executive Adam Harter, who will serve in the capacity of the league’s new CMO. Harter carries years of experience working on Pepsi’s sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show and LeBron James with him to aid the recently born league’s aspirations.

Before its new CMO, the breakaway league also onboarded some other big names. This includes David Phillips, who is the league’s new chief financial officer; Ross Hallett, who is the new head of events; Katie O’Reilly, who will lead the team’s business operations; Tim Taylor, who will be in charge of LIV Golf’s London office; and Pam Sacree, their head of human resources. These famous names will likely work to fulfill the league’s dreams from its new office in New York’s Hudson Yards, or London.

With LIV Golf growing rapidly, signing new deals, and adding top personnel to its roster, one thing that can be affirmed is that it is here to stay! The question about the league’s existence spread like wildfire after the merger news, but it has now been put to rest. Do you think that with the Tour and its board crumbling, LIV Golf will become the next big thing? Let us know in the comments below.