Despite his efforts, Greg Norman was often criticized for holding back LIV Golf. His animosity towards the PGA Tour made it challenging for him to find common ground with Jay Monahan & Co. That restricted the opportunities they received to grow in the sport. But Norman stated that he has “zero regrets” for everything he did.

The former LIV Golf CEO sat down with Mark Bouris for an interview. During one segment, he discussed the economic impact of LIV Golf on each country that hosts its events.

“When LIV comes to a city anywhere in the world, we own the players, LIV owns the production, LIV owns the marketing, so you’re a plug and play,” Norman told Bouris. He added, “So all that significant cost every week to bring that to wherever you go in the world is not on any institution or state government.”

In other words, all the local governments hosting LIV Golf events get is increased traffic. When an event is held at a venue, local governments benefit from the travel, hospitality, and tourism generated by fans attending.

Norman used Adelaide as an example, noting that the city has benefited primarily from the annual LIV Golf event held there. According to reports from the Premier of South Australia, the state has earned $217 million over three years from interstate and international tourism driven by the LIV Golf Adelaide event. It has also been awarded the World’s Best Golf Event for multiple years.

Interestingly, despite what netizens say about Norman, he reveals that his experience with fans has been quite different.

“The smart people get it, and the smart people aren’t wrong. In four and a half years now that I’ve been involved or was involved with LIV, not one person told me I was crazy. Not one. This morning, before coming here, having breakfast in the hotel, two people came up; ‘Thank you, what you did for LIV, for golf with LIV.”

While he may have received significant criticism worldwide, Norman is still considered an icon in Australia. Given the economic growth he has brought to Adelaide, it makes sense for fans to acknowledge his genius and show gratitude. In fact, he described it as the driving force behind his continued efforts.

“All the years I’ve been around, not one person has come up to me and said, ‘You’re an absolute a***ole. You’ve destroyed the game of golf.’ Not one person has ever said that to me. So I stayed true to myself. I delivered. I had a four-year contract employment agreement. I’m happy I did what I did. Do I have regrets? Zero! Would I do it again? Yes! But I’d do it a little bit differently. So it just allows me to now walk away and say ‘yes’.”

He may have had his failures. But through his regime, LIV Golf also saw an incredible uprise. It didn’t reach the heights he had hoped it would reach. But Norman still helped turn LIV Golf into an entertaining product with a dedicated fanbase.

That’s not all he achieved during his three years as LIV Golf’s CEO. Before Scott O’Neil took over, everything that they had achieved was due to Greg Norman’s efforts.

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An overview of Greg Norman’s three years at LIV Golf

Greg Norman’s most significant achievement during his tenure with LIV Golf was likely the talent he acquired from the PGA Tour. Convincing Phil Mickelson to switch wasn’t as difficult because Lefty was always looking to leave once a better option appeared. Moreover, he was past his prime and seeking consistent pay.

However, Norman managed to convince big names like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka to jump ship. The three major winners leaving was a huge wake-up call for Jay Monahan, as they began considering LIV Golf a major threat afterward. That’s why Scott O’Neil is also feeling the jitters now that Koepka is possibly looking for a way back to the Tour.

Another major player Norman signed that year was the 2022 Open Championship winner, Cameron Smith. He left soon after winning the major, making him a massive loss for the PGA Tour. Lastly, Jon Rahm‘s departure in 2024 was a decisive blow to the PGA Tour from Greg Norman.

All these masterful deals were negotiated under the Australian legend’s regime. Since he left, LIV Golf has struggled to sign new players. They recently failed to bring in Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im as well. Would things have been different if Greg Norman had still been with LIV Golf in some capacity? Guess we will never know.