Greg Norman's revelation about why Cameron Smith joined LIV Golf
The LIV Golf series handed out several multi-million dollar contracts, with Cameron Smith having been a key recruit.
Greg Norman has spoken about his process for convincing Australian golf star Cameron Smith to join the LIV series, saying he could still scarcely believe it when Smith put pen to paper. The 2022 British Open winner stunned many in the golf world when he accepted a lucrative contract with the LIV series, reportedly worth up to $140 million.
Having frequently courted controversy in his time at the helm of the Saudi Arabia-backed rival to the PGA Tour, Norman said Smith's deal was the 'best thing that happened' to the fledgling league. Signing the massive LIV deal late last year capped a monster 12 months for Smith, who also won the Players' Championship.
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However his decision to join LIV wasn't one made easily - he lost the personalised carpark reserved for Players' Championship winners at TPC Sawgrass, and was later banned from defending his title there in 2023. However the serious injection of cash likely took some of the sting out of the blow, with Norman admitting in an interview with News Corp on Thursday that all he could do with players was give them the LIV pitch and allow them to make their own decision.
Norman claimed Smith was sold on the 'facts' of the LIV Series, which has faced accusations of being an attempt by Saudi Arabia to 'sportswash' its image internationally by associating with major sporting and cultural events in order to paper over the nation's shocking human rights record. The Australian golfing great commended Smith and various other LIV participants, saying Smith 'went through a lot' before putting pen to paper.
“I have a lot of respect for all these guys making the decision they made. They made the decision on the presentation that we gave them, the offer we gave them, you respect them for doing that,” Norman told News Corp journalist Russell Gould. “I respect anybody for making the decision when they know the facts.
“When I started talking to Cam, I didn’t want to push it. These guys have got to find their own way, knowing what is out there. To get from the offer, to signing it, to get to that point, you’ve got to go through a lot.
"He found the way he found the way down that path of the journey he wanted to do. When he came on board. It was like “oh my gosh”, the best thing that happened to us to be honest with you.”
Greg Norman spruiks 'generational wealth' offered in LIV Golf
Norman also said the major draw of LIV for many of its high-profile signing was the 'generational wealth' on offer, which he claimed would allow top golfers to stop essentially living month-to-month. LIV has been able to make an array of high-priced signings thanks to the heavy backing of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
He said that players like Smith, who had taken advantage of the lucrative contracts on offer, were now looking to maximise their earning as best as possible in ways that he claims simply weren't possible before.
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