LIV Golf is expected to hire former NBA and NHL executive Scott O’Neal to replace Greg Norman as its CEO and commissioner, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
An announcement could be made as early as next week if a deal with O’Neal is finalized, sources said.
O’Neil served as CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers starting in 2013 and later oversaw the NBA franchise and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils as CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
O’Neil was most recently CEO of London-based Merlin Entertainment, one of the world’s largest operators of amusement parks and resorts. Merlin Entertainment announced Wednesday that O’Neill has informed its board that he is leaving for “another opportunity” and is stepping down as CEO at the end of the year.
Norman, 69, has previously said he expects to stay with LIV Golf in some capacity. He told Sports Illustrated that his contract with the circuit expires in August 2025.
A spokesperson for LIV Golf declined to comment when reached by ESPN on Wednesday.
The Sports Business Journal previously reported that LIV was targeting O’Neil for the golf position.
Norman, a two-time Open Championship winner, helped reshape men’s professional golf by recruiting PGA Tour players to the breakaway circuit, which has been funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for the past three years. Who is
Norman helped attract major champions. Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, June Rahim And others in the new league with guaranteed contracts worth more than $100 million.
O’Neill also served as president of Madison Square Garden and was an NBA employee.
The PGA Tour and PIF have been in talks for months about a deal that would inject more than $1 billion from the PIF into PGA Tour Enterprises, a new for-profit entity launched by the Tour and Strategic Sports Group.
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF signed a framework agreement on June 6, 2023 to form the alliance. That deal expired on January 1, but the parties continue to work on a potential deal.