LIV Golf News: Greg Norman & Co to Mimic PepsiCo’s Success Recipe Amid PGA Tour Uncertainty

As the PGA Tour-PIF merger lingers, LIV Golf seems to be making swift steps toward solidifying its roots. The Saudi-funded league has recently onboarded a new chief marketing executive, in addition to its five other appointments made recently. The newly employed personnel is former PepsiCo exec Adam Harter, who has years of experience working on Pepsi’s sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show, and LeBron James.

Before Harter, the breakaway league appointed: 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 new top voices of the league are expected to shine at LIV Golf’s London or New York offices.

“LIV Golf is building a global organization with a team of talented professionals whose excellence is rivaled only by our players on the course. We’re proud to continue building on our tremendous success so far with the addition of top-flight executives across our business divisions. Our players, our team franchises, and our growing staff are laser-focused on the league’s long-term future, supporting the game, attracting more fans to the sport that we love, and establishing a truly international golf league,” said Greg Norman. With such steps, Norman seems to be on top of the league’s growth.

Greg Norman’s full-fledged attempts to grow the PIF have added another layer of guarantee to his previously stated promise that the league is here to stay, even if the merger were to come true. When the $3 billion merger was announced, it was assumed that LIV’s future would be in jeopardy, as would Norman’s job. The claims were soon proven false, as Norman seemed sure of LIV’s future.

The merger between PIF and the PGA Tour was supposed to be finalized by December 31, 2023, but that did not happen. The reports hinted that the deal would be finalized by 2024 Masters but did not. With the PGA Tour getting a $3 billion investment from SSG, it was also speculated that the merger might fall through, but then the Bahamas meeting took place.

Even though players like Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm have indicated the possibility of an agreement coming soon, nothing is set in stone until the final deal is revealed. Woods, after Masters said, “I don’t know if we’re closer, but certainly we’re headed in the right direction. That was a very positive meeting, and I think both sides came away from the meeting feeling positive.” If this is to be believed, the uncertainties might end soon!

The breakaway league’s growth seems to be two steps forward, and one step backward. Why? Well, because the players are just getting money and quality time with their family. The chances of competing in majors seem to be getting bleak with each passing day.

LIV Golf players’ ‘major’ future is hanging too as the merger with the PGA Tour delays

It is being reported that despite LIV Golf’s attempts to grow itself, a continued ‘pathbreaking’ approach might cost LIV Golf players any remaining chances of entry to the majors. A new update on X by Flushing It revealed that while players from the Volvo China Open, a DPWT event with almost a 10-time smaller purse than LIV Golf, managed to make their way to the second major of the season, not even one golfer who competed in Singapore could qualify for the season’s second major. Sad, right? But it is the truth.

Phil Mickelson was quick to give a rebuttal to this observation, stating that while the absence of LIV Golf pros might not be realized at the moment, a time will come when the breakaway league will make the majors notice itself by taking on the best of talents to their side. The LIV golfers are getting far away from the major championships. They have to rely on special invitations and exceptions since the league does not get OWGR. The chances of it getting points are next to none now that the application has been withdrawn.

While Mickelson was heavily trolled for his remarks, the Greg Norman-led initiative of six new key appointments might prove that this is the league’s intention.