(Editor’s note: This op-ed piece penned by Greg Norman of LIV Golf originally ran in the Palm Beach Post.)
When we started LIV Golf, our mission was to change the game of golf for the better – to innovate and make the game we love more diverse and attractive to a broader, younger, more international audience. Our goal is to be a force for good, and already, we’ve seen an explosion of support around the world, particularly from young people and young families, who believe in the mission and love the experience of attending a LIV Golf tournament.
We’ve accomplished so much over the last two years to move the sport into the future and give fans of all ages an experience that they’ll never forget. But our mission is so much bigger than just the game. At LIV, we believe golf has incredible potential to create significant positive social change, potential that has never truly been unleashed. We can upend the status quo and push the boundaries of how things have always been done in golf.
Potential, Unleashed, our recently launched social impact and sustainability strategy, reflects our ideas to address the challenges facing our society and our planet. Our guiding principles focus on two main ideas: positively impacting the lives of 5.4 million young people across the world and becoming climate-positive by 2030.
We’ve created programs like “LIV to Learn” to partner with non-profit organizations and increase opportunities for education, employment, or training for young people, including displaced people.
“LIV Green” focuses on reducing the environmental impact of golf events and investing in climate-related research and technology while “Transform the Game” focuses on providing better access for women and girls to play and work in golf.
“The Way We LIV” is how LIV Golf practices what we preach, highlighting our focus on sustainable event delivery, diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas while supporting the local communities in which we work and play.
Apr 23, 2023; Adelaide, South Australia, AUS; Greg Norman addresses the crowd before the trophy presentation following the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide golf tournament at Grange Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
We hope these initiatives will get more people involved in the sport that we love and inspire social impact that will leave its mark on future generations of our international community.
But this isn’t just talk. We’re putting our principles into action.
LIV Golf engaged with the Chicagoland community a few weeks ago during our tournament in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Captain Louis Oosthuizen and his team Stinger GC hosted a golf and life skills clinic with the Kids Golf Foundation, an organization we’ve partnered with for the last year. Some of these kids had never picked up a golf club until that day.
Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC was joined on Saturday by high school students from the Chicago area in partnership with the Kids Golf Foundation and hosted Lucas Gidelski, a sophomore from Hunley and a pediatric cancer patient, as a “pro for a day.” Lucas joined the team for a practice round at Rich Harvest Farms and got fitted for his own set of custom clubs provided by the team.
Brooks Koepka tees off from the 17th tee during the first round of the 2023 LIV Golf Chicago event at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. (Photo: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports)
And throughout the week, LIV Golf held its first-ever mentorship program, hosting young adults from the Chicago Area Project, who got a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on a LIV Golf tournament. They sat down with LIV staff across a variety of departments to better understand their roles and gain career advice, met with LIV players Graeme McDowell and Brendan Steele and volunteered in a variety of areas to help the LIV Golf team carry out another fantastic tournament.
This is just the start – not only for our league but for making a positive impact off the course. We look forward to continuing our work in the community this week in Miami ahead of LIV’s Team Championship and reach new people with the game of golf and our work off the course.
Our vision is bold but we are committed to working in collaboration with our fans, teams, players and partners, to give back to our communities and our planet and use the game of golf that we love to change the world for the better.
Greg Norman lives in Palm Beach Gardens and is the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, which has headquarters in West Palm Beach. LIV, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have a framework agreement to merge their golf-related assets. The deal has not been finalized and is being investigated by U.S. Justice Department.