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Greg Norman says the launch of his Saudi-backed LIV Invitational series is the culmination of his thirty-year "free agency" dream.
Greg Norman has declared the launch of his Saudi-backed golf series to be the culmination of his three-decade dream.
The Australian golfing great, who heads the lucrative if divisive LIV Invitational Series, sounded quite emotional as he related his pride in bringing "free agency" to golf as the first event teed off at Centurion Club, north of London, on Thursday.
Norman, the ringmaster of the $US 255 million series which has sparked a bitter battle for power within the sport, had been uncharacteristically quiet in the build-up to the event, with LIV staff saying he had preferred to let the players be the centre of attention.
But just before the tournament was launched amid fanfare at the Hertfordshire course, he told the event broadcast on YouTube: "We've been trying to get this off the ground for three decades to be honest with you.
"And I just feel so happy for the players, I feel so happy for the fact that we've brought free agency to the game of golf.
"This is what it's all about. To see the players, to feel the caddies, to have the family members coming up to me and I said to all of them 'this is for you guys, this is for you and the fans'..."
The 67-year-old was all smiles, half an hour before the news that the PGA Tour, which had refused to release its members to play, was banning anyone who was taking part at Centurion.
A press release then quickly followed from LIV Golf, describing the move as "vindictive".
Norman, who has had a thirty-year battle trying to loosen the grip of the PGA Tour on global golf, reckoned he was proud to be "growing the game of golf".
"The players are going, 'oh my gosh we never expected this'," he said. "They never expected LIV golf to be what it is today - they probably never expected the excitement.
"The draft party the other night was mind-bogglingly fantastic. To see the 48 players interact the way they did during the draft party (for the team selection) for me was a 'wow factor' moment."
Norman reckoned the team element of the LIV Series, which has been criticised by many as being a mere gimmick, set it apart.
"The individual side of LIV Golf is critically important and we've always made sure that was part of the product," he said.
"But beyond that, when I went to the Ryder Cup for the first time, it just blew my mind to see the fan engagement.
"On the first tee, I watched these two US players yakking it up with the crowd and I thought, 'that's what golf is missing on a regular basis'."
