LIV Golf is set to appoint Scott O’Neil, a former CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, as its new CEO, according to The Athletic. O’Neil will succeed Greg Norman in leading the Saudi-backed league, which is preparing for its fourth season.
Reports from Sports Business Journal last month indicated that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the financial backer of LIV Golf, planned to reassign Norman to a new role within the organization. Norman has served as LIV’s CEO since its 2022 debut, steering the league through a controversial launch that challenged traditional golf structures.
O’Neil, currently the CEO of Merlin Entertainments, was named as Norman’s replacement by an anonymous source familiar with the matter. Merlin, which owns attractions like Legoland and Peppa Pig Theme Park in Dallas, announced this week that O’Neil is leaving to pursue a new opportunity.
The leadership transition comes at a pivotal moment for LIV Golf, as the league and the broader golf world navigate potential reconciliation. The PGA Tour, European Tour, and PIF announced a partnership framework in June 2023 aimed at mending divisions caused by the high-profile departures of players like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau to LIV Golf. Negotiations over PIF’s minority stake in PGA Tour Enterprises remain ongoing, despite missing an end-of-2023 deadline.
O’Neil’s appointment may ease
