In early December, former LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman announced there would be a new LIV Golf CEO and that he was “fine with that” though it didn’t appear to be his decision at all. Today, LIV Golf announced the decision was official and a new CEO was named to replace Greg Norman.
In a press release, LIV Golf announced Scott O’Neil as new Chief Executive Officer ‘effective immediately.’ The press release went on to say that Greg Norman will “remain involved with LIV Golf” but all day-to-day activities will now be handed off to Scott O’Neil.
LIV Golf Board Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan released a statement saying “on behalf of the Board of Directors, we welcome Scott to the LIV Golf family, knowing he will capitalize on everything that has been accomplished over the past three years, Scott has the passion, the tenacity, and the vision to continue leveraging LIV Golf’s position as a pre-eminent, global sports and entertainment company and to lead our amazing teams and players for years to come.”
Yasir Al-Rumayyan went on to thank Greg Norman for his contributions, saying “when we launched LIV Golf, there was no one that made more sense to lead the organization other than Greg Norman. I thank him for everything he has done to establish, launch and grow our league. He has been instrumental to LIV’s success.”
Scott O’Neil is a relatively unknown figure for such a high-profile promotion. He was previously CEO of Merlin Entertainments and oversaw “140+ attractions in 23 countries.” Merlin owns attractions like LEGOLAND, Peppa Pig World, The London Eye, and other parks of that nature.
LIV Golf says that Scott O’Neil has “more than 25 years of experience in leading and managing global sports and entertainment brands.”
The new LIV Golf CEO released a statement of his own. Scott O’Neil said “the opportunity to lead a global sports league is a dream come true. I am grateful and humbly thank the members of the LIV Golf Board of Directors and its Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan for believing in my strategic vision, growth plan, and passion for this league.LIV Golf is the world’s first global golf league and, with the best teams and players competing around the world, it represents sports entertainment at the highest level.”
He went on to add “what LIV Golf has achieved in just three years is remarkable – the game has been infused with a long overdue bolt of energy and innovation with the team model, players have increased freedom and rights, fans are getting the access they have always wanted, and the game has been brought to new markets that have been desperate for elite golf for decades.”
The new LIV Golf CEO finished his statement with “there has never been a better time to unlock real financial investment, bring team golf and innovation to the forefront, drastically lower the fan age demographic, and put fan experience and fun at the center of everything we do. LIV Golf represents the future of the sport and will ensure the future of the golf ecosystem for years to come.”
Will this guy be the figure who gets the LIV Golf x PGA Tour merger over the finish line? Is he really the missing puzzle piece in all of this? We’ll know in the coming weeks.