Greg Norman opens up on problem that 'hurt' him the most at LIV Golf

Greg Norman has spoken out about his LIV Golf exit and his successes and failures as the face of the rebel league's divisive and disruptive breakaway from the PGA Tour

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Greg Norman has opened up on the "hard" times he endured as LIV Golf's commissioner and CEO, but he is adamant that he accomplished his mission, and he would do it all again "in a heartbeat."

The Aussie had not spoken publicly since he was moved aside by LIV in January. The divisive Norman was replaced by the more statesmanlike Scott O'Neil before exiting the league entirely in September.

The two-time major champion believes he succeeded in his brief from his Saudi Arabian paymasters when launching the breakaway league in 2022, but Norman says the job took a personal toll on him. Norman was the face of LIV's disruptive inception and was a lightning rod for criticism of the league.

The 70-year-old rates his job as "mission accomplished," building a star-studded roster headed by the likes of former PGA Tour standouts Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. Norman's tenure was not without its challenges, though.

“I enjoyed my time at LIV. But I’ll be honest with you, it was hard,” Norman told Australian Golf Digest. “It was very draining on me. I was working 100-hour weeks.

"I’m not going to say all the abuse was anything [of consequence], but what hurt me the most was the lack of understanding of why people would judge me and give the abuse they did.

"That was the thing that bothered me the most, because I’m the type of guy who will happily sit down and talk about things. And if I’m wrong, I’ll admit I’m wrong. But don’t judge me. Don’t judge what LIV was truly all about.”

Norman's focus has turned to his golf course design company and a board role for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia.

In his absence, LIV has been increasingly accepted as a part of the professional golf ecosystem, with major championship qualification routes introduced and a fresh bid for world ranking accreditation under review.

Norman admits he would approach things differently if he had his time again, but he has no regrets over agreeing to be the face of the league.

“Oh, in a heartbeat [I woud do it again], but I’d do it a little differently," he said. "But, yes, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

"Like anything, you look back at losing a golf tournament and ask yourself, Why did you lose that golf tournament? Did I hit a bad 5-iron? Or did I not concentrate?

"So, you sit back and you analyse it, and of course you would do that. And, like any CEO, you have to learn by your successes just as much as by your failures. So, yes, absolutely I’d do it again.”