Will Greg Norman’s ‘Very Attractive’ LIV Golf Turn Savior for Infamous U.S Open Venue Leaving Jay Monahan & Co. Sidelined?

Chambers Bay might see some real action soon. But not through the usual route of a USGA event or even via the PGA Tour. Rather, Greg Norman’s LIV Golf has emerged as the messiah for a course desperately in need of bringing world-class players to the Pacific Northwest.

Don Anderson, executive counsel to Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier, revealed that they are in talks with Performance54, LIV Golf’s marketing agency. Pierce County is the owner of the municipal course. 

Admitting that associating with the Saudi-backed side comes with some unavoidable risk to its public image, Anderson told The News Tribune, “They throw a great party, though. 54 golfers, 54 holes, shotgun start. You generate $5 million or so in concession and merchandise sales. From that aspect, they’re very attractive.” Politics will take a backseat if a lucrative offer comes their way. The Executive Counsel doesn’t disagree.

Chambers Bay hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, where only eight players broke par. Since then, the 7,585-yard, par-72 layout has hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, both in 2022. The Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course will also host the U.S. Amateur Fourball Championship again in 2028.

But the doors of USGA’s big two are closed. The U.S. Open schedule is booked until 2042, and the U.S. Women’s Open for every year until 2036. The challenge is to keep Chambers Bay relevant for more than a decade.

“You can’t run a golf course on a tournament every 25 years. We’ll stay on having fairly regular USGA tournaments. Anything that gets on TV is great. … With any business, you have to adapt to the marketplace. There may be other things involved,” Anderson added. Without a regular PGA Tour event, the Pacific Northwest has been bereft of a top-tier tournament in the area.

This year’s LIV’s Washington event was hosted at Trump National Golf Club D.C. Chambers Bay’s inclusion can mean one of two things: either that both events will co-exist under different names. Or that Greg Norman is finally moving away from Trump National Golf Club in Potomac. The latter won’t be surprising, as LIV still hosts an event in Trump Doral, Florida. But including Chambers Bay in its roster comes with its perks and setbacks. 

Why Chambers Bay might be a double-edged sword for LIV Golf

The one upside is that Chambers Bay is one of the longest and often ranked the best courses in Washington. LIV had to grapple with the perception that its events are hosted majorly in second-rate courses, not at par with PGA Tour venues. Greg Norman could do little to assuage that.

The severe ridicule against choosing Bolingbrook for its Chicago event only bolstered the claims. So, picking Chambers Bay might just shut down critics like Nick Faldo. The former Masters champion equaled LIV’s venues to resort courses. 

But at the same time, it might open doors for more criticism, like the USGA faced in 2015. Gary Player termed it the ‘worst golf course’ of his life. Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, and others lambasted the greens. Poulter famously said that if this were a regular PGA Tour event, some of them would’ve pulled out on Wednesday itself. Whereas, Henrik Stenson equated it with putting on broccoli. 

The course officials have replaced the fescue greens since then with Poa annua. The USGA has affirmed its faith in the course. But not for a major championship yet. It might turn out to be a bold gamble for Greg Norman. Interestingly, the Great White Shark was also in Japan and reportedly in Canada in search of a future venue for LIV Golf. The wind of change is blowing strong on the Saudi-backed side.