Greg Norman appears to have locked in Japan as his next target. The Great White Shark was in the East Asian nation recently, and in an Instagram update, the former World No.1 hinted at an upcoming major announcement. It comes at a time when players and fans have given clarion calls to make the game more global.
Now, the PGA Tour itself has ties with the Japan Golf Tour. As Jay Monahan continues to discuss a potential merger between the LIV Golf and the PGA Tour–a new five-member subcommittee has been formed where only Tiger Woods represents the player-directors–Norman seems to plan on usurping the PGA Tour in Japan.
The former Open champion even watched the final round from the Japanese capital. Not a personal visit by means, as Norman tellingly captioned his ‘homecoming’ post, “I honed my golfing skills there for decades and was welcomed with open arms as I helped grow the game in the region alongside many great and wonderful Japanese players some of whom I met with when there. And thank you for the team on the ground who helped immensely and became instant friends. The excitement builds as we look to grow the game for the players, fans, and stakeholders. Stay tuned!”
Norman has deep ties with the country from his playing days. Among his 91 International victories, two came at the Japan Golf Tour. First in the 1977 Kuzuha International and Chunichi Crowns in 1989. In 2017, Greg Norman Golf Course Design partnered with OHBA Co., an industry leader in civil engineering and urban planning for golf course renovation.
Norman most recently said in a Bloomberg interview that his expansion plan for LIV includes owning courses where the PIF-funded side hosts their events. He also hinted that some countries have renewed interest in hosting LIV events, even the Tourism department willing to pay for hosting.
Interestingly, Norman confirmed LIV’s pursuit of Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama. But the 32-year-old lives in Sendai, some 229 miles from Tokyo. Moreover, Matsuyama is at Quail Hollow for the Wells Fargo Championship. Presumably, Greg Norman wants to include the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ in his growing list of pit stops. And the Shark might one-up PA Tour in that as well.
Notably, the PGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour, and the DP World Tour struck an agreement through which the top three players in the JGTO will earn a membership card at the DP World Tour for the next season. Last year, the Zozo Championship, too, returned to Japan, but the schedule this year doesn’t include any event in the East Asian Nation. Notably, Rory McIlroy hinted some of the US players are not very willing to play outside the country.
If LIV, indeed moves to Japan, it’ll have a footprint in four Asian nations. Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Hong Kong already dot the map. Greg Norman also mentioned they were in talks with the Philippines as well. Notably, PIF has also ties with the Asian Tour, pumping $400M into it. Top point earners from the Asian Tour International Series Order of Merit earn a direct spot at LIV Golf. Andy Ogletree qualified for LIV Golf this year.
