Greg Norman “has got to leave.” Tiger Woods said this back in November 2022. He made it perfectly clear that Norman was the roadblock to peace in golf’s bitter civil war. The LIV CEO’s combative style had become a liability. It took more than a year, but Woods finally got his wish. LIV Golf replaced Norman in January 2025, which ended Norman’s three-year run as CEO. Scott O’Neil stepped into this volatile mess and was a “serious hire” from the NBA. His job was to stop the war and start the integration.

Nearly a year has passed since O’Neil took the top job, and the “growing concerns” about LIV’s future are louder than ever as the league is in a loss for another season. So, what does his report card look like? LIV Golf Senior Writer Matt Vincenzi recently spoke out about that with Chris McKee.

“Well, he’s a great leader. Um, you know, and people will think I’m kind of blowing smoke, but I promise you I’m speaking from the heart here. So one thing that he’s done is he’s given every LIV employee, you know, especially ones that cover the golf like us, a chance to sit and talk with him and ask him questions,” Vincenzi started.

Yup, O’Neil has been incredibly accessible, but Vincenzi admitted he was worried when he first joined LIV. “You know, maybe when I joined, I… there was a tiny, tiny piece of me that thought, ‘Oh, I really hope this works out, ‘”Vincenzi shared. “But now I’m reassured in my belief in LIV because of Scott. Um, and it’s… he’s just resonated with me, everything that he said, everything that he’s done.” And what is O’Neil doing right? Vincenzi says he is tackling the league’s biggest problems.

“I think he’s, he’s going after these OWGR [Official World Golf Ranking] points, which is the right thing to do for the players and for the league. I think he’s, um, developing relationships with Trevor Immelman and the Ridley and all these, the powers that be that he needs to develop relationships with is a big part of the job, and he’s doing that as well.”

We all saw how LIV Golf announced its biggest challenge yet with its three-day, 54-hole tournaments evolving into four-day, 72-hole events for 2026. This is a big move considering that this step takes them away from their fundamental format and also their name. In Roman numerals, LIV is 54. Despite this, the shotgun starts will remain.

The new CEO believes that such a change is necessary for the league to secure Official World Golf Ranking points and continue its growth. Ever since its launch in 2022, the league has spent billions, and nearly four seasons later, the sanction from the OWGR is still missing. In fact, just last year, LIV officially withdrew its application under Norman. But if these changes are any indication, then it is safe to deduce that OGWR remains of utmost priority to O’Neil.

The application was resubmitted earlier this year, and several key changes have been made, which appear to be in order to satisfy the OWGR board. But that is just one aspect of the change the sports executive aims to bring.

In April 2025, O’Neil was invited to the Masters. Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley welcomed him as a guest. “Scott is here, and we’re pleased to have him as our guest,” Ridley said. “Although I don’t have any specific plans to meet with him, I know that we will have some discussions with him, and we’re happy that he’s here.” This was a first for the LIV CEO.

That’s why the show host Chris McKee agreed, saying, “Yeah, I was a little hesitant at first because I was such a huge fan of Greg Norman, and I loved the courage and ingenuity it took for him to get LIV off the ground. And then when Scott came in, I was like, ‘Oh, really? Doing that?’ But he’s won me over 10,000%. And so, uh, yeah, and even just seeing, kind of watching him moving when I was on-site at LIV Michigan, just watching him interact with people, I’m like, ‘That’s a real CEO.'”

And this change to a “real CEO” is exactly what LIV’s biggest star predicted.

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Jon Rahm basically predicted in January 2025

Back in January 2025, Jon Rahm said the league needed a change. He even praised O’Neil’s experience running U.S. sports teams and was happy that O’Neil is more of a business executive than a golf guy.

“I think, unfortunately, there’s been a little bit, possibly a little too much bad blood between Greg and maybe the governing bodies, and to have somebody outside of that might help the situation,” Rahm said back then. “Plus his [O’Neil] overall view with what a league or an organization could work and should work with his experience in the NBA, right? With that, and based on what I talked to him about and the vision he has and his enthusiasm, I think he’s going to be a very positive impact for LIV, and FOX, obviously, as well.”

But while O’Neil is winning over insiders and opening doors, the league’s bank account is still bleeding red ink. The league’s “growing concerns” are not just rumors. The numbers are staggering. LIV’s UK-based arm is “hemorrhaging money.” It has lost over $1.1 billion since 2022, and the 2024 filing alone showed a $461.8 million loss. So, the league needed a “letter of support” from its Saudi (PIF) backers just to stay afloat.

And there are signs that even the PIF’s “bottomless pit” is shrinking. Cash injections were reportedly “reduced” in 2025. The league’s TV deal with FOX Sports is “modest.” U.S. ratings are “down.” Most importantly, “advertisers aren’t there.” This creates a strange situation where all the diplomacy in the world failed to fix that model. So, Matt Vincenzi’s reassurance is real, and O’Neil is a great peacemaker, but he may need to be a miracle worker to stop the bleeding.