Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour is more than just a comeback; it’s a statement. Ahead of his return at Torrey Pines, the 5x major champion said that he has fallen back in love with the game. And he isn’t the only one. Another LIV star, Patrick Reed, left even though he was making hefty money. Notably, this has led to more discussion about LIV’s broken approach and lack of long-term credibility. And the main culprit is seemingly Greg Norman.

On the Fried Egg Golf podcast, analysts Andy and Brendan didn’t mince words, with the former saying, “LIV deserves it. They have gone and played for a bunch of clowns.”

He then dropped the most scathing assessment yet of Greg Norman’s leadership.

He called the Australian legend “the ultimate possibly sports executive chuckle f–k of all time” for his lack of foresight and failure to build something sustainable. The reason behind the brutal diagnosis was that LIV made a catastrophic strategic blunder by frontloading generational wealth to players without creating competitive reasons for them to stay.

LIV handed out contracts worth $100-200M upfront to Koepka and others. While it seems to be smart business, the analysts criticized it.

“You give all these guys the generational wealth to come over,” Andy explained, “but it also gives them the ultimate leverage because they then don’t really care about your peanuts offer.”

The podcast laid out a devastating theory about an athlete’s career progression. First, players crave notoriety. Then, they chase money. Finally, they want to win and cement their legacy. Notably, LIV got them paid, but couldn’t satisfy the third hunger.

Koepka’s comments about falling “back in love with the game” weren’t about swing mechanics; they were about missing meaningful competition. Reed echoed this sentiment, admitting he missed being in the mix, grinding against the world’s best on golf’s biggest stages.

Here’s where LIV’s situation becomes terminal. Brendan identified the league’s last remaining leverage: the difficulty of getting back to the PGA Tour. However, the PGA Tour leadership has systematically lowered those barriers. Koepka’s seamless return proves the point. The exit door is wide open now, and players are streaming through it.

Years ago, the signs of trouble started to show. Before LIV officially launched in February 2022, the Australian Financial Review reported that Norman’s league was struggling to attract top talent.

Rory McIlroy called the venture “dead in the water.” McIlroy asked who would even fill the field, saying, “Greg Norman would have to tee it up to fill the field.”

What makes this collapse so remarkable is its predictability. LIV had Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund backing essentially unlimited resources. Norman worked “100-hour weeks” before departing in September 2025.

Greg Norman told Australian Golf Digest, “Don’t judge me. Don’t judge what LIV was truly all about.”

But the judgment writes itself. Marquee signings are leaving despite guaranteed contracts. The 2026 roster additions failed to move the needle. Questions about LIV’s competitive legitimacy persist. The league that promised revolution is unable to deliver what elite athletes actually crave: a stage where wins matter.

Greg Norman claims his work forced the PGA Tour to increase prize money. The irony deepened earlier this month when Norman made a stunning claim about his true allegiances.

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Greg Norman claims PGA Tour ‘loyalty’ 

The latest development came in mid-January when Norman told The Big Swing podcast he remains “still loyal to the PGA Tour” as a lifetime member. He disputed suggestions that he harbors animosity toward the Tour and argued LIV actually helped elevate it through competition.

PGA Tour winner Michael Kim responded skeptically on social media, asking AI to define “loyalty.” The comment highlighted widespread doubt about Norman’s narrative, particularly given his three-year campaign to recruit the Tour’s biggest stars with nine-figure contracts.

Greg Norman led LIV for three seasons before his departure, overseeing a league that struggled to gain traction with traditional golf audiences and secure major television partnerships. The circuit also faced mounting challenges in retaining players as the PGA Tour began reopening pathways for a return.

The assessments from the Fried Egg Golf podcast analysts reflect growing sentiment within golf circles.

Despite substantial financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV failed to establish the competitive legitimacy necessary to retain top talent over the long term. With Koepka already back on Tour and Reed joining him, questions mount about the league’s strategic direction and Greg Norman’s role in shaping it.