LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman anticipates a “domino effect” of more high-profile players joining the Saudi-backed circuit following Jon Rahm’s significant move to the upstart tour. Rahm, the current Masters champion, recently signed with LIV in a deal reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars, marking a major departure from the PGA Tour.
Norman, the public face of LIV, expressed the importance of having Rahm on board and predicted a cascade of additional top players joining. He mentioned, “To have Jon on board is critically important to our next steps into the future and what we want to do. It will create a domino effect; there will be more apples falling from the tree, there’s no question about it because LIV continues to grow and develop.”
Despite initial reluctance from Rahm, his decision to join LIV is considered a significant development, and Norman stated that numerous players have expressed interest in discussions about joining the circuit.
Acknowledging the controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia’s involvement in sports, particularly accusations of “sportswashing” its human rights record, Norman emphasized that the country genuinely cares about golf. He highlighted their substantial investment in the sport for the benefit of their people.
Rahm’s move occurred amid ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi backers of LIV to finalize the details of their proposed merger, which was announced in June. A December 31 deadline has been set to reach an agreement on the framework for the new PGA-LIV joint venture.
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