Two-time major champion Jon Rahm believes new LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil will succeed as Greg Norman’s replacement.
The Spaniard feels that replacing Norman with O’Neil means there will be ‘a less threatening image’ as there was ‘too much bad blood’ between the PGA Tour and Greg Norman.
Jon Rahm Backs Scott O’Neil To Succeed As New LIV Golf CEO Following Greg Norman Exit
Following his exit as LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman has been replaced by Scot O’Neil as the new face of the Saudi Arabia-backed rival golf tour to the PGA Tour.
There has been a lot of talk about the replacement, particularly amongst players such as Rory McIlroy, who thinks Norman’s exit is ‘probably a good move’ for the sport of golf.
Another man who has welcomed the decision to replace Greg Norman as LIV Golf CEO with O’Neil is LIV’s standout name Jon Rahm. The two-time major champion believes the replacement of Norman with Scott O’Neil is a positive move and will help ongoing talks with the DP World and PGA Tour.
Greg Norman certainly created a big splash in the sport of golf in his role as chief disruptor, but now seems like the right time to replace the Australian according to Rahm. The Spaniard believes there was too much ‘bad blood’ between Norman and the PGA Tour, with O’Neil a far ‘less threatening image’ for the golfing landscape.
Removing Norman from the picture completely and replacing him with a man with vast experience as an executive in major US sports is most definitely a good move. These sentiments are shared by some of Rahm’s peers at LIV Golf as well as himself.
Rahm, who will go into all four majors in 2025 as one of the favourites with the best sports betting apps, believes that Norman moving more into the background can help the relationship between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, helping heal the divide in professional golf once and for all.
Jon Rahm: O’Neil Provides A ‘Less Threatening Image’ Than Greg Norman
The two-time major championship winner is of the opinion that there was too much animosity between Greg Norman and PGA Tour officials, with the new appointment of Scott O’Neil as the new LIV Golf CEO nothing but a positive move.
“I think, unfortunately, there’s been a little bit, possibly a little too much bad blood between Greg [Norman] and maybe the governing bodies, and to have somebody outside of that might help the situation,” Rahm said after missing the cut at the Dubai Desert Classic.
It cannot be denied that Greg Norman was effective in LIV Golf making a name for itself, but has also upset a lot of people and fuelled lots of hatred between the two respective golf tours. With O’Neil coming in with no baggage at all, Rahm believes this could help repair relationships and be a ‘very positive impact for LIV and FOX’.
“Even though Greg has treated me great, I think having somebody like Scott who is a little bit outside the world of golf but very much in the world of sport I think makes him kind of a perfect match,” added Rahm.
“I think an outside perspective, and possibly a less threatening image, might help that, as well.”
Rahm, who was the highest paid golfer in the world in 2024, believes it is most definitely a move in the right direction. Time will tell what this new appointment of Scott O’Neil means for LIV Golf and the PGA Tour in the long run.
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