"So what's changed?" LIV Golf's Greg Norman takes swipe at R&A chief executive
Greg Norman has taken a swipe at R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers as he reportedly confirmed some changes ahead of the 2023-2024 LIV Golf season.
LIV Golf has reportedly taken advice from the R&A onboard and will take the controversial series to as many as eight countries in its first season as a league next year.
Greg Norman, the chief executive of LIV Golf Investments, announced earlier in the month their plans for the 2023-2024 season which has a total prize purse of a mind-boggling $405million.
Despite legal issues, LIV Golf are ploughing ahead with their plans for next year after surprising even themselves with the success they have achieved in their inaugural season.
That success has seen them sign players like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau even after Phil Mickelson's remarks threatened to bring down the show before it even started.
Cameron Smith and Hideki Matsuyama are reportedly two huge names that could soon follow.
Norman told The Telegraph's Jamie Corrigan about the change: "It was before I had signed up, but the guys who were involved in a meeting with Martin [Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A] earlier in 2021 say they showed him the plans for a 14-event league and asked for his thoughts.
"There were 10 events in the US and four in other countries. All he said was that he would make it seven and seven. Apparently, he didn't state any opposition then. So what's changed?"
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Slumbers has made absolutely no secret of opposition to LIV Golf. Speaking ahead of the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, he said the circuit was "not credible".
Despite saying it was "not on their agenda" to ban LIV players from future Opens, he did say that they will review exemptions and qualifying criteria going forward.
Slumbers also said LIV was "harming the perception of golf".
He continued: "My primary concern about the ecosystem is we spend multimillions every year, the proceeds from this championship on grassroots and amateur golf, from bottom, bringing people into the sport and playing elite golf.
"I know that I can look you in the eye -- because this is men's golf we're talking about at this point -- I can look in the eye of any boy or any parent of that boy and know that, if he comes into the game and wants to get to the top, wants to play this game, that there is a pathway to the top totally based on his ability and his willingness to work hard.
"And that has been fought for by our sport for 100 years, that pathway from picking up a golf club to playing at the top level. And I think that is something that is fantastic about our sport.
"And I think it's worth fighting for. And that pathway is the biggest piece of the ecosystem for me."
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