Cameron Smith on exit of LIV Golf boss Greg Norman: "It was weird"
Cameron Smith has offered his first thoughts as he begins life at LIV Golf without the man who convinced him to join the breakaway tour.
Cameron Smith says it was 'weird' finding out Greg Norman was being replaced in the top position at LIV Golf.
Norman was officially ousted as the chief executive and commissioner of the breakaway tour last month.
The two-time Open champion has been replaced by former NHL and NBA executive Scott O'Neil.
Smith was convinced to take a leap of faith by Norman in 2022 when LIV Golf held their inaugural invitational series.
At the time, he was only a few months removed from being crowned the champion golfer of the year at the landmark 150th Open at St Andrews.
Clearly, there was a huge financial incentive for Smith when he linked up with Norman but he also had to consider a few cons.
Smith, like other LIV recruits in 2022, had to deal with criticism and reputational damage.
He also had to weigh up how playing a schedule of predominantly LIV events would affect his performances in the major championships.
"Yeah, it's a weird one for me obviously getting very close to Greg the last couple years," Smith told reporters before LIV's 2025 curtain-raiser in Riyadh.
"I think he's done a really great job. He's taken a lot of bullets for the tour, and I don't know many other people that could have done that, to be honest."
Cameron Smith is masterful from the sand!#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/84iv1byH1y
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) April 23, 2023
Norman claims he will always have a role at LIV but it is unclear in what capacity.
He has already found a new gig and is a member of the organising committee responsible for planning Brisbane's hosting of the 2032 Olympic games
LIV's 2024 marquee signing, Jon Rahm, has already heaped praise on Norman's successor.
Rahm said there has been 'too much bad blood' between Norman and those in the corridors of power in the elite men's game.
Smith echoed Rahm's sentiments.
"I think we're making some great strides," he said.
"And as a tour we're really going in the right direction, which I think everyone is really happy with.
"Like I said, it's a little bit of a weird one for me, but I'm happy the trajectory that the tour has gone."
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