Cameron Smith admits he has trouble understanding why Aussie golf legend Greg Norman was so sensationally blindsided in the shock merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. The golfing bodies – who had been locked in bitter legal battles for months – took everyone by surprise last month after announcing they were joining forces.
Despite Norman being CEO of LIV Golf and the driving force behind recruiting some of the biggest golfers on the planet to the rebel circuit, the Australian legend was left off the negotiating table when the merger was discussed and promptly finalised. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan – the man responsible for banning LIV Golf stars from competing on the main Tour – was instead installed as CEO of the new golfing entity.
Norman was seemingly used up and spat out, with the two-time British Open champion not named in the joint statements released by the merging organisations, nor listed as a member of the new unified board. It led to widespread suggestions Norman had become a peripheral figure in the LIV Golf hierarchy, despite being its most prominent figure since inception.
Documents released this month by the US senate committee investigating the merger revealed the PGA Tour had sought a side agreement with LIV Golf to sideline Norman, whose determination to get the Saudi-backed circuit up and running clearly rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way. However, Smith says Norman’s dedication to his LIV players can’t be ignored.
Cam Smith hopes Greg Norman stays on with LIV
Speaking ahead of his defence at The Open, Smith insisted Norman had done a commendable job in heading up the breakaway Tour. While Norman’s role with the new entity still remains clear, Smith says he hopes the golfing great can stay on in some capacity.
