MIAMI — Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka admits he hoped the LIV Golf League would be further along in its fourth season as it prepares to play its first tournament in the U.S. starting Friday at Trump National Doral.
The breakaway circuit funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund [PIF] is undergoing a bit of a reset with former Merlin Entertainments CEO Scott O'Neil replacing Greg Norman, in addition to other leadership changes, as well as a new broadcast deal with Fox in the U.S.
«I think we all hoped it would have been a little bit further along, and that's no secret,» Koepka said Tuesday. «No matter where you're at, you always hope everything is further along. But they're making progress, and it seems to be going in the right direction.»
The league, which has team and individual competitions being played concurrently, shotgun starts and 54-hole tournaments, didn't see a bump in TV ratings in the U.S. in its first four events in 2025, which were played in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.
O'Neil, who replaced Norman as LIV Golf's CEO on Jan. 15, is overseeing the league's strategic vision, business operations and global growth. One of his first tasks in his first three months on the job was changing LIV Golf's slogan from «Golf But Louder» to «Long LIV Golf.»
O'Neil, 54, was previously the president of Madison Square Garden Sports and oversaw operations of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. He later managed the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils as CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment before taking over Merlin Entertainments, which operates theme parks and hotels around the world.
«There's a place for LIV Golf in the world,» O'Neil told ESPN on Tuesday. «That's one
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