The new CEO of LIV Golf has something the outgoing one never had—a relationship with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

Whether that means a faster road to possible peace in the game remains unclear, but Scott O’Neil is looking to put the acrimony behind and forge relationships going forward with all of the tours for the greater good of the game.

O’Neil, who was officially named chief operating officer of LIV Golf effective immediately, replaces golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman, who took on the role in the summer of 2021 along with the title of commissioner and helped launch the upstart circuit in 2022 amid plenty of rancor as some of the game’s top players signed lucrative deals and thus were denied their spots on the PGA Tour.

In a brief interview with Sports Illustrated, O’Neil said that Norman would “have some role” going forward with LIV Golf but that there would no longer be a commissioner position with the league.

O’Neil said that Norman has been “nothing but supportive” in their transition and that the two have been in contact daily over the last several weeks after it was first reported in October that Norman would be replaced. In an interview with SI at that time, Norman said his contract with LIV Golf is through August of this year.

LIV Golf starts its fourth season next month in Riyadh as negotiations—which have exceeded 18 months between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia— continue, with an expected cash investment in PGA Tour Enterprises along with some resolution to the conflicts which prohibit LIV players from competing in PGA Tour events.

O’Neil, without prompting, noted that he has “tremendous respect” for Monahan, who has been the PGA Tour commissioner since 2017 and helped broker a secret “framework agreement” with the PIF and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan in June 2023 that was shocking at the time given various lawsuits and bad blood that had resulted when LIV launched. Al-Rumayyan was quoted in the release announcing O’Neil’s official hiring.

Although they have not spoken formally since he accepted the position, O’Neil said he’s texted with Monahan and looks forward discussions that “benefit the game of golf to grow it globally and get more people playing and watching the game.”

He noted that strong presence for golf in the United States and LIV Golf’s efforts to reach into worldwide locations and said he would not have taken the job if he didn’t believe that “LIV Golf is going to be around for a long time.”

O’Neil, 54, comes to LIV Golf after working as CEO of Merlin Entertainments, which oversees the business operations in 23 countries. Prior to that, he was CEO for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which has pro sports, entertainment and investment properties.

As part of that, O’Neil has been involved with franchises such as the NBA’s New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, as well as Madison Square Garden.

O’Neil lauded LIV’s worldwide appeal and the team approach to golf an said as part of LIV’s announcement that “what LIV Golf has achieved in just three years is remarkable—the game has been infused with a long overdue bolt of energy and innovation with the team model, players have increased freedom and rights, fans are getting the access they have always wanted, and the game has been brought to new markets that have been desperate for elite golf for decades.

“There has never been a better time to unlock real financial investment, bring team golf and innovation to the forefront, drastically lower the fan age demographic, and put fan experience and fun at the center of everything we do. LIV Golf represents the future of the sport and will ensure the future of the golf ecosystem for years to come.”

Norman lauded O’Neil’s hiring in the LIV announcement saying “he is exactly the type of experienced professional who understands the unique and powerful combination of entertainment and sports that LIV Golf exemplifies. The league will be in very good hands with him at the helm.”

LIV Golf is expected to announce a new television rights deal prior to the start of the 2025 season.