6 days Ago By Sam Frost
LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil insists the breakaway league does not need to finalize a peace deal with the PGA Tour. O'Neil, who replaced LIV founder Greg Norman ahead of this season, sat down with reporters at Trump National Doral on Wednesday ahead of LIV Golf Miami, which tees off on Friday. Atop the agenda was the negotiations over a reunification deal that would address the fractures in the sport caused by the LIV Golf breakaway in 2022.
O'Neil, a veteran sports executive who has worked for the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia 76ers, was asked about the progress of negotiations between LIV Golf's backer – the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) – and the PGA Tour. A framework agreement was struck almost two years ago and finally talks appeared to be edging towards a positive resolution at the start of 2025 following the intervention of President Donald Trump. O'Neil revealed he has not been involved in meetings with President Trump, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, but he made clear the future of LIV does not hinge on the outcome of the talks.
He claims LIV will be just fine without an agreement. "Have to do a deal? No," O'Neil said. "Nice to do a deal? So long as we're all focused on the same thing, which is growing the game of golf.
I think we're all kind of up for that. "This is not my deal. Hope all goes well and does what's best for golf.
If that's a deal, great. If it's not a deal, great. We're pretty good stead.
" O'Neil's appointment was soon followed by LIV striking a broadcasting deal with FOX Sports, but TV ratings have been underwhelming for the league through four events this season. In fairness, those events have been played in distant parts of the world and out of primetime in the U.S.
The litmus test comes this weekend at the Blue Monster in Miami, with the first and final rounds available to viewers on FOX. Saturday's second round will be screened on FS1. O'Neil urged reporters not to "read too much" into the TV ratings so far; instead, he wants to be judged on LIV's performance this weekend.
"Some of the news was a bit disappointing for me to read," he said of the viewing figures. "Is this weekend important? Of course, it is. This one is important in the U.
S., for the U.S.
broadcast, and it's on FOX, and that's an exciting opportunity. I have no problem being judged. Judge me this week, for sure.
" Despite the challenges facing LIV, and men's professional golf overall, O'Neil is bullish about the league's future. He concluded: "I will say I love what we're doing. I love our prospects.
I love the growth in three months. I know what's coming in the next three months. And I like where we are.
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