A moment including the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, which was supposed to unite professional golf, instead left many feeling blindsided. And the ripple effects still shape conversations today. Greg Norman joined LIV as its CEO in 2022. Soon, he turned from being a golf icon to being the enemy No. 1.

Then, in 2023, both sides’ leaders dropped a bomb that left Greg Norman feeling betrayed, just like Rory McIlroy and other professionals on the PGA Tour. Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Jay Monahan appeared on television and shared a handshake meant to signal the start of LIV and the PGA Tour working together.

As the Wall Street Journal reported, “Norman says he found out five minutes before PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the PGA Tour’s Jay Monahan appeared on television together to announce they had ended litigation and were entering into a framework agreement to join forces.”

This comment from Norman shows that literally no one except Al-Rumayyan and Monahan had an idea of what was going on behind the scenes, leaving everyone else in the dark. The announcement briefly sparked excitement about the possibility of bringing players like Bryson DeChambeau back into PGA Tour events. However, that early optimism faded as months passed without anyone finalizing a clear pathway.