LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has made a bold claim, stating that a number of prominent golf superstars are preparing to join the breakaway tour in the near future. Despite facing criticism from traditionalist golf fans, Norman recently secured a major victory by recruiting popular Spanish golfer Jon Rahm. This surprising move has sparked renewed discussions about the state of golf’s established Tours.
In an interview with the BBC’s World Business Report, Norman expressed his confidence that Rahm’s signing will have a ripple effect, attracting other high-profile players to LIV Golf. “To have Jon on board was critically important to our next steps into the future and what we want to do,” Norman stated, highlighting the significance of Rahm’s decision. “It will create a domino effect, there will be more apples falling from the tree – there’s no question about it.”
Norman revealed that since Rahm’s signing, he has been inundated with interest from numerous players. “Since Jon signed, less than a week ago now, I know my phone is blowing up. I know we probably have eight to 12 players who are very, very keen to sit down and talk to us about coming on board. Time will tell,” Norman said, emphasizing the growing appeal of LIV Golf to elite players.
The LIV Golf boss went on to praise the value of the platform being offered to both fans and players, citing it as the driving force behind Rahm’s decision to join the breakaway tour. “It tells you the value of what our platform is, where these PGA Tour players see the opportunity that LIV offers,” Norman explained. “LIV is a different platform to the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour and the players want to do both quite honestly, so we’ve created something special. It’s a franchise, it’s a team model and they have embraced it 100 percent.”
As LIV Golf gains momentum with the addition of Rahm, the PGA Tour finds itself facing yet another blow. Pressure is mounting on PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to finalize the proposed merger of the Tours before the upcoming 31 December deadline, as the organization experiences a loss of one of its star players to the emerging breakaway tour.
The recent developments have led to the PGA Tour confirming the indefinite suspension of Jon Rahm for signing with LIV Golf, underscoring the growing tension and competition between the established Tours and the up-and-coming LIV Golf.
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