Rory McIlroy calls LIV’s CEO swap ‘probably a good move’

The war of words between Greg Norman and Rory McIlroy is as good as done.

Although the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf on their "framework agreement" have made little apparent progress, there is less animosity between the sides in 2025 than there was when LIV first entered the golf scene.

Now LIV is moving forward with sports executive Scott O'Neil as its CEO, replacing Norman, who will remain with the Saudi-backed golf league in an ambiguous role.

McIlroy, one of LIV's most outspoken critics in the early days, said it was "probably a good move" and heaped praise on O'Neil's resume.

"(O'Neil) has an amazing track record with what he has done in sports in terms of managing teams and groups of teams, ownership groups," McIlroy told reporters at the Dubai Desert Classic. "He has got the right credentials to take over a sports league. I think for LIV it is probably a good move now they are established."

O'Neil has served as CEO of the parent company of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils, president of Madison Square Garden and CEO of amusement park and resort company Merlin Entertainments Group.

He was officially confirmed as the new CEO on Wednesday, with LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan saying in a statement O'Neil "has the passion, the tenacity and the vision to continue leveraging LIV Golf's position as a pre-eminent, global sports and entertainment company and to lead our amazing teams and players for years to come."

Norman, the 1986 and 1983 Open champion, often came off as divisive when helping LIV get off the ground. He called McIlroy "brainwashed by the PGA Tour" in 2022, putting Norman in the four-time major champion's crosshairs.

McIlroy blamed him in part for golf's "civil