Why the Dramatic Shift of LIV Team Championship From Jeddah to Miami Was One of the Best Decisions Greg Norman Ever Made

LIV Golf is by far one of the most groundbreaking yet controversial formats to have been introduced in the golf world. Before the Saudi-funded league, the golf world was a less controversial place, but since June 2022, all of it has turned upside down. During its initial season, LIV Golf received a lot of backlash for its distinctive and non-traditional format and its sponsors, but that did not stop the league from going forward and upward. In its first season, Greg Norman’s league had fewer events, but for 2023, it was a jam-packed year. Not only was there a hike in the number of events, but there were also some unexpected decisions taken for the benefit of the golf league.

In 2023, LIV Golf’s final event of the season was supposed to be held in Jeddah, but now it will be held in Miami. This remarkable decision of shifting the Team Championship from Jeddah to Miami to its last year’s home is probably the most smart and strategic decision that the boss, Greg Norman, took! Wondering why? Let us spill the beans for you!

Why is the drastic shift in the LIV Golf Team Championship venue a smart decision?

In July, the Saudi-funded tour announced that they had moved their season-ending Team Championship from Saudi Arabia to Miami. The championship was initially scheduled to take place in early November, but now, as per the changed schedule, it will be taking place in late October from October 20 to October 22 in Miami at Trump Doral. No change was announced in the Individual Championship, which is the Jeddah event, and now it will take place a week before the Team Championship.

The announcement was quite shocking and unexpected, as Saudi Arabia is kind of home to LIV Golf. Although Norman or any other LIV Golf spokesperson did not give a definitive explanation for the dramatic shift, this might be one of LIV Golf’s smartest decisions. Last year, LIV Golf’s event that it hosted at Trump Doral was one of the most attended events on the calendar. With hopes of recreating similar enthusiasm amongst the golf fans and attracting even more viewership than last year’s Trump Doral event, the Team Championship might have been shifted here.

After everything that has gone down with LIV Golf this year, it has garnered a lot of attention. For example, two of its golfers, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson, tied for the second position at the Masters; Keopka became the first LIV Golf player to win a major championship and to play in the Ryder Cup; Bryson DeChambeau’s stellar golfing skills and his stunning record score of 58, forming an entity with its former rivals; and so on, were just a few of the achievements of the Saudi league. The backlash and strong opinions against the league also decreased a bit this year, opening the scope for massive coverage. Norman’s move to cash in on the growing popularity by shifting the season finale back to the USA was a pure genius move.

Along with the mass coverage that the event will get at Trump Doral, this move will also help LIV Golf assert its position in the sport in a better way. Ever since the LIV Golf-PGA Tour-DP World Tour merger was announced, there have been a lot of speculations and chatter around the future of LIV.

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Although no concrete information about LIV’s future is yet out, boss Norman has made it clear that his league is here to stay! With Team Championship back in Miami and in hopes of ending the season with a solid bang, it will assist the LIV CEO in establishing a strong base for all the budding and future relationships or partnerships it will have with its former rival in the coming years. Though this may be a smart decision to replenish the depleting audience, target mass coverage, or build better reactions, this was also a very dramatic one!

Why was the shifting decision from Jeddah to Miami smart but dramatic?

The decision to shift the Team Championship from Saudi Arabia to Miami came just a few days after the Saudi PIF-PGA Tour deal. The announcement invited some chatter, speculating if the announcement or Saudi Arabia’s deal with the PGA Tour had something to do with the dramatic venue change. After the historic merger announcement, the entire golf world was thinking about the future of LIV Golf. Such a big announcement at that time created mayhem in the golf world and raised a lot of eyes.

Usually, the coming year’s schedule is notified and decided in advance. It is very rare that any last-minute changes are made to the schedule. Well, only after the event’s conclusion will everyone get to know if this strategic and smart decision reaped the results that were hoped for!

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