Golf YouTube star Rick Shiels dropped a must-watch episode of The Rick Shiels Golf Show, featuring an exclusive interview with LIV Golf’s new CEO, Scott O’Neil.
In his first full-length sit-down since taking the helm in January 2025, O’Neil didn’t shy away from Shiels’ hard-hitting questions, offering insights into LIV Golf’s global ambitions, its relationship with the PGA Tour, and the potential for a women’s league. Here’s a recap of the key takeaways from this revealing conversation, as covered by Today’s Golfer.
A New Vision for LIV Golf
O’Neil, who replaced Greg Norman as CEO, is steering LIV Golf away from its early “Golf, But Louder” mantra toward a more inclusive mission: growing the game globally. He emphasized LIV’s unique position as a global platform, contrasting it with the PGA Tour’s U.S.-centric dominance.
“I think [the PGA Tour] will, for the foreseeable future, have a dominant position in the U.S.,” O’Neil told Shiels, “and I think we will be the dominant player in the world.”
This bold prediction underscores LIV’s focus on expanding into markets like Asia, Europe, and Australia (and reportedly Africa next year), where events like LIV Golf Adelaide have drawn massive crowds (27,000 daily in 2025 per Golf Monthly).
The PGA Tour Relationship and Merger Talks
Shiels didn’t hold back, pressing O’Neil on the stalled PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger talks, a topic that’s dominated golf headlines since the 2023 framework agreement. O’Neil, whose friendship with new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp dates back to their Harvard Business School days, offered a diplomatic take.
“If you go to the root of the question, saying, ‘Are there opportunities for our golfers to play more golf together?’ Absolutely,” he said, per EssentiallySports.
However, he pushed back on the idea of a full merger, suggesting the two tours serve different audiences and could coexist. He even extended an olive branch, saying he’d invite Rolapp to a LIV event, though he doubted Rolapp would attend due to the “media circus”. Their personal connection, bolstered by attending the same church, has sparked optimism, with EssentiallySports asking if it could “finally bridge the gap”.
Player Contracts and Commitment
Addressing concerns about LIV Golf’s roster, O’Neil dispelled myths about players lacking competitive drive, a criticism often leveled at the league’s high-purse, no-cut format. He shared anecdotes of players’ families thanking him for LIV’s supportive environment and insisted, “Of the players who have their contracts up this year, everyone wants to be back.”
Stars like Bryson DeChambeau, whom O’Neil praised for his passion, are locked in, with contract renewals underway for various players through 2029. This counters narratives on X, where some fans claim LIV players are less motivated, a point O’Neil refuted by highlighting their “competitive juices”.
A Women’s LIV Golf League on the Horizon?
One of the interview’s most intriguing moments came when Shiels asked about a women’s LIV Golf league, a topic Norman had floated previously.
O’Neil, a father of four daughters, expressed enthusiasm, revealing he’d already planned a February 2025 meeting with the LPGA to explore contributions to women’s golf. The Public Investment Fund’s Aramco Team Series, offering higher purses than the Ladies European Tour average, hints at LIV’s potential in this space. Golf Monthly noted O’Neil’s hope for a women’s league “in the near future,” a move that could shake up professional golf further.
LIV’s Challenges and Fan Perception
Despite its star power — think Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, and Patrick Reed, who won LIV Golf Dallas in a playoff — LIV struggles with fan engagement in the U.S., where the PGA Tour remains king.
The Dallas event, relegated to FS2, drew criticism from analysts like Dan Rapaport, who argued LIV missed a chance to capitalize on a weak PGA Tour field at the Rocket Classic.
O’Neil, however, focused on LIV’s global appeal, citing a record 20,000 fans at LIV Dallas as proof of its growing draw. He also addressed LIV’s “different standard of criticism,” telling Shiels he’s fine with the scrutiny, though some X users, like @ProGolfCritic, expressed frustration at the double standard.
Looking Ahead: Golf in Five Years
When Shiels asked where golf will be in five years, O’Neil painted a collaborative vision. He believes LIV and the PGA Tour can complement each other, with LIV leading globally and the PGA Tour anchoring the U.S. market. He called for golf to “come together” against sports like cricket or tennis, a sentiment he shared with Irish Golfer Magazine.
This aligns with his view of LIV as the “good guys,” focused on innovation and accessibility, from team formats to celebrity-driven events. Today’s Golfer highlighted O’Neil’s bold prediction that LIV will outpace the PGA Tour globally, a claim that’s already stirring debate on X.
Why It Matters
O’Neil’s interview, conducted against the backdrop of LIV Golf Dallas, was a masterclass in strategic optimism. By addressing merger talks, player loyalty, and women’s golf, he positioned LIV as a forward-thinking force, not just a disruptor.
Shiels, with his 3 million YouTube followers and LIV media deal, provided the perfect platform to reach younger fans, a demographic LIV covets. The conversation, lauded on X for its depth (@RickShielsPGA’s “hard-hitting questions”), signals LIV’s intent to redefine its narrative as it heads into events like LIV Golf Andalucia later this month.
For golf fans, this interview is a window into LIV’s next chapter. Whether you’re a PGA Tour loyalist or a LIV enthusiast, O’Neil’s vision, and his chemistry with Rolapp, could shape the sport’s future.
Check out the full podcast on The Rick Shiels Golf Show to hear it straight from the source.
