DORAL, Fla. – During July’s U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, one of the more explosive moments involved LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, who didn’t testify before lawmakers.
Tour chief operating officer Ron Price was asked what would happen to Norman if the circuit and PIF reached a definitive agreement creating a new, for-profit entity that would include both tours as well as the European circuit.
“If we reach a definitive agreement, we would not have a requirement for that type of position,” Price told lawmakers. “Under the framework agreement, if we are able to move to a definitive agreement and it’s approved, the LIV Golf assets, of which Greg Norman’s currently the commissioner, would move into a new PGA Tour subsidiary, controlled by the PGA Tour, and those events will be managed by the PGA Tour.”
In a session with reporters Thursday at the LIV Golf season finale, Norman challenged Price’s assessment.
“I knew it wasn’t true,” Norman said. “There’s so much white noise running around out there that I paid zero attention to because I know sitting in this seat today, I know every step I’ve made has been for the right reasons, right reasons for the game of golf.”
Norman was also asked his thoughts on the potential definitive agreement but he declined to speculate on the negotiations or a possible outcome.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Norman said. “I have my own personal points what it is, but I’m not involved with it. I don’t want to be involved with it. There’s smarter people involved with that than I am. I just hope it does work. I really do. I’ve always been a believer of that.”
The negotiations between the Tour and the PIF, which owns 93 percent of LIV Golf according to court filings, are ongoing and the framework agreement includes a Dec. 31 deadline to reach a potential deal. Sources, however, have indicated that deadline could be extended if progress is being made toward a definitive agreement.
