LIV Golf has successfully concluded its fourth season since debuting in 2022. Earlier this year, Greg Norman stepped down from his role as CEO of the Saudi-based league, with Scott O’Neal taking over the reins.
Before O’Neal assumed leadership, the breakaway league’s non-U.S. entity faced significant financial challenges, reporting losses of approximately $460 million in 2024, according to Sports Business Journal. While the financial details of the U.S. entity remain undisclosed, the new CEO remains optimistic about LIV Golf’s future growth despite this setback.
In a conversation with Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter, Scott O’Neal emphasized that LIV Golf has a “clear mission” to grow the game of golf by bringing some of the best players to a global stage.
“We’re doing what I think hopefully most businesses do with a four-year-old company,” O’Neal said. “And that’s first: assess the strategy, where are we going? Why are we going where we’re going? The mission is really clear to take some of the best players in the world to the world and grow the game of golf.”
He added, “Once you have a mission, then your doors become pretty clear. Then you set the strategy. How are we going to get there? What does it actually look like? We have that nailed down internally. Then you build the structure, and then you go get the people that fit that structure, and we’re somewhere in the middle of that process.”
Since joining LIV Golf, O’Neal has secured new commercial deals and brought on key corporate partners such as HSBC and Salesforce to strengthen the league’s financial position.
Regarding his relationship with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who took over the role a few months ago from Commissioner Jay Monahan, O’Neal shared that their connection goes back several years. The two golf industry leaders were classmates at Harvard Business School, where they both earned their Master’s degrees in Business Administration.
“I’ll speak for myself. I spend 95% of my time focusing on LIV Golf and how we grow this business and the other 5 on a whole host of things, including what the ecosystem looks like and how we can better engage,” O’Neal said.
O’Neal and Rolapp have also been in discussions about the future of golf, acknowledging the division among players and fans between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
As LIV Golf continues on its journey, O’Neal remains confident in the league’s mission and strategy, aiming to expand the game and solidify its place in the evolving golf landscape.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/golf/news-liv-golf-s-460m-loss-seem-bothersome-scott-o-neil-stays-positive-situation
