Speculation looms as Greg Norman could be replaced as the front man for LIV Golf with the new Saudi-backed circuit looking to bring in Mark King as its chief executive, according to a Thursday, Nov. 10, report from The Telegraph in London.
King, formerly the chief executive officer of golf equipment manufacturer TaylorMade and the president of shoe giant Adidas, is now the CEO of Taco Bell.
Per The Telegraph, King is an avid golfer who was present at several LIV events in its inaugural season this year and has met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the head of the Saudi Public Investment that is bankrolling the new circuit.
King, 60, also recently told Fire Pit Collective he believes that “in five years LIV Golf will be another tour among existing tours and that everybody will learn to get along.”
Norman could be “moved upstairs” in the LIV organization if King comes aboard, according to The Telegraph.
Norman was the face of LIV Golf as it launched, helping the breakaway tour bring in such stars as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.
Players received upfront payments as high as a reported $125 million for Johnson to jump ship from the PGA Tour and/or the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour).
One player Norman notably failed to sign was Tiger Woods, even though Norman told Fox News he offered the 15-time major winner between $700 million and $800 million.
Norman was the formerly world’s top-ranked player during a career that saw him win the Open Championship in 1986 and 1993 and finish second eight times in major tournaments.
