New LIV Golf CEO Claims League Has Best Players Outside Majors
LIV Golf's new CEO Scott O'Neil, who replaced Greg Norman in January 2024, has made headlines with a controversial statement about the league's competitive standing in professional golf.
Speaking at LIV Golf Adelaide, O'Neil claimed that "outside of the majors, if you want to see the best players in the world, there's only one place to see it - at LIV."
While LIV Golf does feature some elite talent including:
- Jon Rahm
- Joaquin Niemann
- Brooks Koepka
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Cameron Smith
The PGA Tour still maintains a stronger overall roster with:
- World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler
- Rory McIlroy
- Xander Schauffele
- Collin Morikawa
- Justin Thomas
- Patrick Cantlay
- Jordan Spieth
LIV's 54-player field lacks the depth of PGA Tour events, which typically feature 140 players. While LIV has attracted several major champions like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bubba Watson, many are past their prime competitive years.
The majors remain golf's true showcase of elite talent, bringing together the best players from both tours. A potential agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which finances LIV, could lead to more opportunities for the world's top golfers to compete against each other outside of major championships.