Smith: "I'm already unconvinced about Greg Norman's replacement at LIV Golf"

When LIV Golf confirmed they were showing Greg Norman the door I had certain hopes for his successor. 

His replacement, in case you didn't know, is the vastly experienced American sports executive Scott O'Neil. 

O'Neil entered the picture at an interesting time in the golf wars; the PGA Tour are reportedly on the brink of announcing a deal with the Saudi PIF and the major championships are finally acknowledging its existence. 

Like many, I harboured hopes that LIV's new chief wouldn't engage in petty feuds, make promises he couldn't keep or offer delusional statements lacking in self-awareness. 

Turns out I was wrong. 

While it may be true that O'Neil takes a more diplomatic approach than his confrontational predecessor, he certainly needs to give his recent proclamation at LIV Adelaide some serious thought. 

What did he say? Well, the league's new commish joined LIV's broadcast on Sunday where he explained their event at The Grange was the blueprint going forward for their events around the globe. 

"It's now the ceiling but we want it to become the floor," he told Arlo White, Jerry Foltz and David Feherty. 

O'Neil discussed the 'amazing', forthcoming opportunities LIV will have in 'golf-starved' markets such as Mexico and South Korea. 

"It won't happen overnight," he said. 

He continued: "You have a public-private partnership, you have corporate support, you have fans that want it.

"And you don't have to look too far past our leaderboard to know that, outside of the majors, if you want to see the best players in the world, there's only one place to see it – and that's at LIV."

Before you simply label me as part of the Corrupt Golf Media, just take a look at Feherty's reaction: 

Let's not kid ourselves here. 

While there has been a clear divide in the talent pool, the very best players are still playing on the PGA Tour. 

Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have won majors as LIV players - but beyond that how deep is the talent on the breakaway tour?

Do they really have the best players? Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer are all fading into irrelevance. 

Cameron Smith has done diddly squat for three years. Dustin Johnson has also been abysmal. 

In my opinion that leaves DeChambeau, Koepka, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton as the only world-class talent LIV currently has at their disposal alongside a few talented youngsters. 

We can discuss Joaquin Niemann when he contends in a major. 

PGA Tour players have won eight out of the 10 majors held since LIV's first event in 2022, including three out of four last year. 

"There is no objectively sane argument to be made that LIV has the best players in the world or anything all that close to it," golf reporter Kyle Porter wrote on X in response to O'Neil's claim.  

"Data Golf has it at five of the top 50 right now."

Golf Channel analyst and prominent LIV critic Brandel Chamblee also took the opportunity to offer his two cents. 

"And yet their top 10 players average finish was outside the top 40 in the 34 majors they played last year," he wrote on X.

"Meanwhile Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler won three of the four majors in 2024 so maybe you only have to look far enough past their leaderboard to see a PGA Tour leaderboard."

I do take the point that O'Neil has to defend his product, but saying LIV is only place to see the best players in the world outside of the majors is patently absurd. 

Rory McIlroy defends Harry Diamond

It was another interesting week for Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. 

The 35-year-old was, unsurprisingly, asked about the ongoing feud between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf after American president Donald Trump was asked to help broker a deal. 

Surprisingly, McIlroy believes that Trump is actually on the PGA Tour's side. 

And apparently Trump is not a fan of LIV's 54-hole format.  

McIlroy finished 35th at the Genesis Invitational. 

He was reportedly involved in a fiery exchange with a spectator after he missed a birdie putt on the third hole. 

"Blame your caddie," the spectator shouted, according to Dan Rapaport. 

McIlroy allegedly fired back: "Shut the f--- up."

Read more about that here. 

Ludvig Aberg is a problem

For Keegan Bradley. 

Aberg's victory at Torrey Pines means that of the seven events played on the PGA Tour so far this season, four have been won by Europeans. 

Austria's Sepp Straka got over the line at The American Express, Rory McIlroy prevailed at Pebble Beach and Thomas Detry finally broke through at the WM Phoenix Open. 

It's early, but European Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald will be feeling quietly confident that there is a chance his dozen could finally get that elusive away win. 

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