LIV Golf chief Greg Norman is eyeing up SEVEN more PGA Tour stars with ‘American duo Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele on the hitlist’ – as the Aussie claims current rebels are ‘liberated’ on the Saudi-backed series
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has suggested that seven more PGA Tour players could defect to the Saudi-backed rebel series next year.
The series concluded its inaugural season in Miami last weekend with the team championship and it already intends to return for a second with 14 events.
The breakaway lured several big names away from the PGA Tour with lucrative signing-on fees, including British Open champion Cameron Smith, former World No. 1s Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, and Ryder Cup heroes Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter.
Greg Norman has suggested that seven more PGA Tour players could defect to LIV Golf
The Saudi-backed series has already attracted bug names, including Dustin Johnson (left)
But Norman claimed the list will not end there. The two-time major winner hinted that LIV Golf is on the hunt for seven more players.
‘Basically we’re looking for maybe seven players, something like that,’ said Norman speaking after the final LIV Golf round of this year in Florida.
Norman did not provide any specific names but he did suggest that the series’ latest defectors could come from within the World’s top 20.
Americans Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele along with veteran Adam Scott and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters are rumored to be on LIV’s hitlist, according to The Mirror.
If the seven targets do jump ship to LIV Golf it will mean suspension from the PGA Tour, with all rebels having faced the same punishment from the moment they teed off in an event on the breakaway circuit.
The defectors have also faced heavy backlash for joining the series due to its Saudi ties and accusations of sportswashing.
Americans Patrick Cantlay (right) and Xander Schauffele (left) are reportedly on the hitlist
Stalwarts of the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have also led the retaliation and war or words against LIV Golf.
However, Norman claims that LIV’s players feel liberated by breaking away from the PGA Tour.
He said: ‘Quite honestly, the players on the outside looking in to see what’s happening with LIV today, these guys still talk to each other, right?
‘The ones on LIV feel like they have been liberated. There are players on the PGA Tour that we’re speaking to today that want to be liberated.’
Tiger Woods (left) and Rory McIlroy (right) have led the retaliation from the PGA Tour
And the mega-money prize purses have surely helped towards that ‘liberated’ feeling.
American Pat Perez pocketed over $8million from LIV’s debut season without ever finishing within the top 10, thanks to his team, the 4Aces’s, success in the combined format.
Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson topped the earnings table by earning $35.6million from his eight events this year on top of a reported signing-on bonus of over $100m on the mega-rich Saudi rebel tour.
Pat Perez pocketed over $8million from LIV this season without ever finishing within the top 10
Perez’s earning mainly came from his team, the 4Aces, who won the championship trophy
It comes as no real surprise then that the majority of players want to return for the second season, according to Norman.
The Australian said: ‘The percentage of players that will come back probably – doing quick math – 85 to 90 percent of the players, I would say.’
At the end of July, the series confirmed it will return in 2023 in the new form of the LIV Golf League with $405million up for grabs in prize purses and the chance for promotions and relegations.
Golf’s first-ever league will also introduce a franchise system team with 12 teams to be led by one established Team Captain who will compete and have the ability to build their franchises to attract fan following and sponsors.
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