LIV Golf chief Greg Norman ‘open-minded’ about switch to 72 holes
The tour’s chief executive hasn’t ruled out moving to a four-round format – saying conversations continue – and addressed THOSE Rory McIlroy rumours
LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman has revealed the organisation is “very open-minded” about changing the league’s format to 72 holes.
But he warned there would be an “economic impact about putting television on” for four rounds.
Speaking with Jon Rahm ahead of the Saudi-backed tour’s event in Adelaide this week, Norman said the prospect of adding an extra round to the three-day shotgun-start tournaments was “a great conversation to have” and one that would continue going forward.
Rahm had told the BBC he would like to see the tour move from 54 to 72-holes, and added in Australia that such a shift could “help a lot of fans’ trust in LIV a little bit more because that’s a lot of the complaints that I see from a lot of people”.
The Spaniard also said “LIV is a business” and “if it doesn’t fit the product, it doesn’t fit the product”, before claiming “you forget by Sunday that you’ve only played three rounds”.
LIV Golf Greg Norman latest: ‘It’s a great conversation to have’
Norman replied: “I think from LIV’s perspective, we’re very open-minded about it, but you’ve got to understand there’s economic impact about putting television on for 72 holes.”
He added: “It’s a great conversation to have. We will continue to have that conversation going forward. But we sit back and say, ‘what value do we get on putting on television on Thursday?’
“How do we build out in the future? How do we get more people, as the Premier says, to the golf course? Maybe it is Thursday and you allow another 30,000 people coming in on a Thursday.
“There are things that we sit back and look at to see what is the most optimal solution to make this a better and better and better event, and 72 holes is discussed.”
Norman also addressed rumours over an $850 million approach for Rory McIlroy, confirming the Northern Irishman’s account that the league had not made him an offer.
“LIV never put an offer to him,” he said. “We didn’t need to make a comment about this. This is just typical white noise that gets out there in the industry.
“If Rory was willing to sit down and have a conversation with us, would we be happy to sit down with him? 100 percent, no different than any other player who would be interested in coming on and playing with us.
“It’s understanding the facts about what LIV represents and what LIV can deliver on a global basis. It’s up to you to determine it. I’ve sat down with one top, top PGA Tour player in his house with another member of my team, walking through the whole process, and he was so impressed. He said, ‘well, that’s not what we’re told in the locker room’. This is really impressive.
“But he made the decision. He [called] me up two days later and said, ‘I’ve decided to stay where I’m at’. I said, ‘happy days. You made a decision on fact. If you’re happier over here, fine, stay there. Your door is always open. If you want to come back and have a conversation with us, happy to do that’.”
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
