Greg Norman's termination part of PGA Tour's discussions with Saudi Arabia PIF!
Greg Norman's future with LIV Golf could be coming to an end.
Greg Norman's removal as CEO was one of the deals discussed during the PGA Tour's talks with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), said Senator Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday.
Blumenthal was speaking at a congressional hearing on the bombshell agreement between the PGA Tour and the PIF that was first announced 6 June.
The agreement is said to combine the golf-related commercial businesses and rights of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and the PIF into a new, for-profit entity.
That includes LIV Golf, which is financially backed by the PIF.
Since the shocking news of the agreement after over a year of lawsuits between PGA Tour and LIV Golf, little has been revealed about the details.
However, during Tuesday's hearing, the curtain began to unravel to reveal some of what was discussed during the meetings that led to the alliance.
One of which, was a potential side agreement that meant LIV Golf CEO Norman would be removed from his position as they moved forward with the alliance, according to Blumenthal in his opening statement.
Per the document, an email posted to Twitter by Golfweek's Adam Schupak, it was requested that Norman was removed from his position "no later than one month" after the agreement.
Here’s the side letter requesting that Greg Norman would be out as CEO of LIV “no later than one month”after the framework agreement was executed. pic.twitter.com/8eemzXE7WX
— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) July 11, 2023
Norman, a former World No. 1 golfer, has long been the face of LIV Golf since well before its inaugural event in June 2022. He's also been outspoken against the PGA Tour in the past.
Late last year, rumours swirled that Norman was no longer the league's CEO, but those were shut down.
As recently as Monday, Norman was referred to as both the CEO and commissioner of the league in a press release about a change in LIV Golf's 2023 schedule.
Senator Blumenthal says there had been a side-agreement among members of the PGA Tour-PIF negotiation that would terminate Greg Norman's involvement with the partnership. pic.twitter.com/no2jT8e8if
— Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) July 11, 2023
It was not clear whether his termination ended up in the final agreement, which is said to have been signed 30 May.
The hearing Tuesday was par of a probe by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
The PGA Tour's chief cooperating officer Ron Price and board member Jimmy Dunne were set to testify.
