Greg Norman has flirted with the idea of moving LIV Golf into the women’s game at some point in the future, but one of the sport’s biggest names is against the idea.
Annika Sorenstam, a legendary figure in the LPGA Tour, has expressed concerns about the potential impact of introducing LIV Golf to the women’s game. Despite its rapid rise in popularity among male golfers, Sorenstam believes that this move could potentially “ruin” the sport.
LIV Golf has made a name for itself as one of the premier golf circuits, alongside the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, attracting some of the biggest names in the sport. Renowned players like Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and recently Jon Rahm have all signed lucrative contracts with this breakaway league.
Backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the LIV Golf organization has injected staggering amounts of money into the men’s game. According to CEO Greg Norman, there are plans to extend this support to women’s golf as well.
Last April, Norman revealed that he had personally spoken with individual LPGA Tour players, Ladies European Tour players, and the Ladies European Tour itself. According to him, they were all impressed with what our product has to offer and were eager to get involved. Norman expressed his desire to see a LIV ladies series come to fruition.
However, not everyone in the women’s golf community shares the same enthusiasm. Annika Sorenstam, a 10-time major champion, expressed her reservations about the idea. In an interview with the Daily Mail, she mentioned that while she believes there is room for a LIV Golf series for men, she finds the lines to be unclear. Initially, she thought it would cater to a specific group of people, namely those aged 40 and above, but it seems that the target audience is now uncertain.
Sorenstam also mentioned that there is already the Aramco series for women, which has been successful, so why not provide more opportunities for female golfers to showcase their skills.
The introduction of LIV has caused a division in men’s golf, with the top players participating in either the PGA and DP World Tours or the LIV circuit. They only come together for the four major championships each year. If a similar situation were to occur in women’s golf, Sorenstam believes the consequences would be even worse.
“I believe it would become overcrowded and detract from the existing events if there were more tournaments or more players involved. The LPGA needs the top players to attract sponsorships,” she explained. “If only half of them were to participate, it would definitely pose a problem.
“So, I prefer to see things remain as they are today. The current system is working well, and if there are any expansions, I hope they continue to collaborate. Women don’t have as many opportunities, so we shouldn’t jeopardize what we already have.”
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