‘Desperate Gimmickry’: LIV Golf’s Unique Decision After Greg Norman’s Move Raises Eyebrows

As we all already know, Greg Norman’s tumultuous tenure as LIV Golf’s commissioner and CEO has come to an end, with Scott O’Neil taking the reins earlier this month. Norman’s departure has sparked a mixed reaction, with Rory McIlroy suggesting it’s “probably a good move,” while Norman himself has expressed a desire to move on from his public spats with McIlroy and Tiger Woods. However, it seems like LIV Golf is not much affected by Norman’s departure as the organization continues to push forward with its plans, including its latest attempt to win over fans with a flashy new format and big-name broadcast deal.

As LIV Golf prepares to kick off its 2025 season, fans are getting a glimpse of what’s in store – and it’s clear that the organization is pulling out all the stops. The season-opening event in Riyadh will feature a unique twist: all three rounds will be played under the lights. According to the LIV Golf app, the shotgun start will take place at 6:15 PM, local time, which translates to 10:15 AM for fans in the eastern United States. It’s a clever move, given the time difference – and it’s likely no coincidence that the event will be broadcast on Fox, LIV Golf’s new broadcast partner.

But despite the flashy new format and big-name broadcast deal, it seems like fans are still not quite impressed. Night golf has been done before – just last month, the Showdown featured a nighttime matchup between PGA Tour stars Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler and LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. While the novelty of playing under the lights is certainly intriguing, it remains to be seen whether LIV Golf’s new approach will be enough to win over skeptical fans.

Fans are not much impressed by LIV Golf’s new endeavor

One thing we can always rely on golf fans for is the fact that they spit facts and that is exactly what they did with the recent news, the difference being this time their comments had a hint of mockery in them. “Hopefully, they don’t screw it by putting a shot tracer on every shot! “, said one fan while the other said, “Don’t the LIV players miss playing better courses?” Well, we think we may know a few things about what LIV golfers like and what they don’t like about golf courses.

In December 2024, Bryson DeChambeau explained that, in his opinion, public golf courses are actually more challenging to play on than the Tour courses he’s accustomed to competing on. “It’s like hitting off of, you know, just dirt and sand,” he noted, highlighting the uneven surfaces found on public courses. “Out on a Tour golf course, you can kind of mishit it or hit it in the rough and still have a good lie… Out here, it’s really dodgy,” he added, praising the unique challenges of public golf courses and the level of precision required to hit great shots.

One fan took a jab at the Saudi-backed league and said, “Thanks for the warning”, while the other said, “Desperate gimmickry.” But why are they calling it a gimmickry? Well, maybe because this is something the PGA Tour has already dipped its toes into, and the concept of golf under the lights doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it once did.

Events like Capital One’s The Match have been experimenting with nighttime golf, and the results have been promising, with Rory McIlroy and Max Homa expressing their enthusiasm for the format. McIlroy, who has competed in two under-the-lights events, noted that while it presents some challenges, such as dewy greens, the overall experience is “really cool” and could potentially enhance the visual experience for viewers.

“And they wonder why no world ranking points are at stake lol”, yes that is what one fan said, they really chose violence this time didn’t they? We all know how hard LIV Golf has been working towards getting the OWGR points but so far it doesn’t seem like their cards have played any well so maybe their innovation is something that can finally get them what they want. What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below!