Is LIV Golf Transfer Window a Major Greg Norman Blunder?

In case you were not aware, LIV Golf has opened a mid-season transfer window. From May 8, LIV has offered a month-long trading session where teams can improve their roster by swapping a member with some from other teams. 

Greg Norman said, “LIV Golf is delivering another exciting opportunity for professional golf that aligns with the traditions of many team sports around the globe, promoting strategic player moves and enriched team storylines.” However, a few weeks into the trading window, neither are there any rumors nor are there any confirmation on new contracts. 

All quiet on the Greg Norman front

The mid-season transfer window sort of trips over itself. Firstly, there are only seven tournaments, and teams have settled down. Unlike other NFL, NHL, NBA, or Soccer, there are no extra spots available in the squads. That inevitably means transferring is swapping one with the other. 

While that takes some fun and speculation away from the transfer window, even the swaps are done without much fanfare. There are no rumors of which players are under which captains’ radar. Neither is there any news of possible contract negotiations.

Word is Phil Mickelson’s contract runs out sooner rather than later. Lefty needs to be signed by his team, of which he is the captain, to remain on the PIF-funded side. 

LIV Golf’s official website doesn’t feature any potential update on any of that. In other team sports, the transfer market is always buzzing with rumors, speculations, and failed deals. It generates more intense. (Some fans would swear it’s the most interesting part of the year.) And LIV hasn’t been able to capitalize on it, as much as they could’ve. 

The lack of conversation on social media channels, and fan forums also indicates that LIV Golf still draws eyeballs because of the individual player, not because of their teams. The transfer season could’ve added some important storylines, however the opportunity seemed to be passing quietly. It’s not much different from the off-season transfer window.

Talor Gooch swap deal was a missed opportunity 

The biggest transfer of LIV golf happened without so much of a whisper. The 2023 Player of the Year, Talor Gooch, was swapped with Matthew Wolff. Wolff, and his Smash GC captain, Brooks Koepka’s episodic feud was one of the major storylines from last season. The 24-year-old’s mental health struggle got worse, culminating in a withdrawal in the middle of a tournament. 

Koepka dubbed Wolff a wasted talent and doubled down on his criticism calling Smash GC a team of three. However, when it came to the transfer window, Talor Gooch joined Smash without any prior rumors. There was no insider scoop of the impending transfer. Neither were there any details offered if they were handed a new contract upon joining a new team. 

Does LIV Golf suffer from a lack of transparency? 

Every LIV Golf pro is bound by contracts. However, the PIF-funded side has so far refused to divulge any details. Brooks Koepka admitted his contract runs into nine figures. Bryson DeChambeau apparently had the largest sum valued at $125M. Phil Mickelson’s deal reportedly runs into millions. 

However, neither the exact details nor the duration of the contracts were known. Three years later, the situation hasn’t changed much. Jon Rahm’s contract is valued at anywhere between $300-$500M. How the sum is vested in each player isn’t known either. 

Comparably, minute details of Shohei Ohtani’s $700M deals are disclosed. Sportico reported that the 10-year contract follows a common MLB practice – deferrals. Ohtani gets $2M in annual salaries. Whereas, the remaining $68M gets deferred each year which will be paid without interest in $68M installments between 2034 to 2043. 

On the other hand, since LIV organizes and sketches these contracts, instead of the teams, there are no codified rules available for negotiations. And, that also goes back to a core problem, that the teams are yet to attract franchise investment. The nascent league has recently seen a spark in interest, however, no tangible result is evident yet on shifting ‘teams’ to ‘franchises’.

The mid-season transfer window is emblematic of how LIV has failed to generate a core fanbase for the teams. Ironically, team play is the main identity of LIV Golf. In the middle of the third season, it seems the PIF-funded side still lacks some spark that should have been here last year.