What if Greg Norman is definitely telling the reality?
What if he actually is the Kerry Packer of golf.
Norman: “He sits on my proper shoulder on daily basis. Belief me, on daily basis. He goes, ‘Son, you are doing a superb bloody job’.”
What if LIV’s beers, bells and whistles Adelaide match is the now and the way forward for golf.
South Australia’s Premier Peter Malinauskas: “LIV shouldn’t be a consultant of Saudi Arabia. LIV is a golf match … and it is shaking issues up and that is a superb factor.”
Norman: “In all places you go, golf is a pressure for good.”
The inaugural Australian match on the Grange in Adelaide’s west has lived LIV’s slogan: Golf, however louder.
Phil Mickelson: “I am not saying it ought to occur each week. However what LIV Golf has offered is known as a nice different for the normal methods of golf, and the individuals right here in Australia have embraced it.”
Norman’s LIV conquest of Adelaide is full: 90,000 revellers in sell-out crowds at a three-day social gathering on a golf course.
Cam Smith: “I might go so far as to say that is the perfect occasion I’ve ever performed. I am in all probability biased a little bit bit, being from Australia, however that is what LIV Golf is about.”
LIV chief govt and commissioner Norman knew the match could be a winner.
Asking Australians to come back to an enormous social gathering whereas watching sport? No-brainer money-maker.
Norman: “From my perspective, it is product. We’ve got a product that the followers need.”
On the Grange, he juggles politics, enterprise and sport. He reckons the game bit will get neglected.
Smith: “The gang is so younger. Not solely children, guys of their 20s and 30s all on the market, it is laborious to say it is not rising the sport of golf.
“You have to marvel how many individuals are going to select up the golf equipment subsequent week and provides it a shot.”
The LIV boss says his product, and Smith’s sport, are shifting the demographic of golf from the PGA Tour’s common of 67 years previous.
Norman: “In a single yr we have taken that down, 65 per cent of our viewers and followers are 45 years and youthful … our product, it is now recognized to a youthful fan base.”
He speaks of peace whereas ready for struggle.
Norman: “The PGA Tour has received an awesome tour … I am completely satisfied for them. I hope they exist and maintain current however it’s their selection of what they wish to do.
“And in the event that they wish to maintain placing up highway blocks, we’re not going to go wherever.”
He talks of a relegation system, extra groups, potential LIV women, queues of golfers wanting to hitch.
Norman: “It is not an imaginary line. That line is already there.”
Mickelson final February mentioned of the Saudis, who bankroll the tour: “They’re scary mom****ers to get entangled with.”
In Adelaide, he spent quarter-hour within the scorer’s hut earlier than talking to media.
Mickelson: “Simply form of regroup, recuperate, in order that I do not say something too silly right here.”
The six-time main winner is, behind Smith, the most important LIV drawcard. There’s 13 main winners in LIV’s 48-strong discipline.
There’s winners of 531 tournaments worldwide, 24 majors. And there is Sihwan Kim.
The South Korea-born naturalised American arrived in Adelaide after ending final in all three LIV tournaments this yr – 23 over, 19 over, 13 over.
He earnt greater than a half-a-million {dollars} doing so – $A537,876 exactly.
Kim shot 84, together with a ten, on his opening day in Adelaide. When individuals make pointed criticism of LIV’s depth, many level at him.
Norman: “We’ve got 48 of the perfect gamers on the earth that we’re very, very pleased with. Our objective is to construct these franchise values out.”
