LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed golf league, has recently announced a series of new executive appointments for its upcoming tournament in Adelaide, Australia. This move reflects the league’s commitment to competing with the PGA Tour in 2024. Despite the absence of Rory McIlroy in the new signings, LIV Golf appears steadfast in its trajectory of growth.
The new executive hires encompass David Phillipps as Chief Financial Officer, Ross Hallett as EVP, Head of Events, Katie O’Reilly as EVP, Head of Team Business Operations, Tim Taylor in a new EVP role, and Pam Sacree as Head of Human Resources. These appointments will be located in LIV Golf’s offices in New York or London.
The newly appointed Chief Financial Officer, David Phillipps, brings a commendable background, having previously served as CFO at the Equinox Group. Likewise, Hallett, the EVP, Head of Events, possesses extensive leadership experience in the golf ecosystem, notably as Senior Vice President and Head of Golf Events EMEA for IMG. O’Reilly, in her capacity as the head of LIV Golf’s Team Business Operations, previously held the position of Chief Revenue Officer for the Philadelphia 76ers and will oversee all team business efforts. Taylor has been appointed to oversee LIV Golf’s financial operations, and Sacree will be responsible for leading strategic people and engagement initiatives for the league.
CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman expressed, “LIV Golf is establishing a global organization with a team of talented professionals whose excellence is on par with our players on the course. We take pride in expanding on our remarkable success so far through the addition of top-flight executives across our business divisions.”
This announcement follows the participation of LIV Golf players in The Masters, where the performance of the 13 players culminated in a combined 82-over par total. Notably, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith achieved promising results, finishing in a tie for sixth, while Tyrrell Hatton also secured a top-10 finish.
The recent executive appointments and the performance of LIV Golf players at The Masters underline the league’s deliberate effort to establish itself as a legitimate international golf circuit and further strengthen its position in the global golfing landscape.