LIV Golf boss Greg Norman included a tempting extra offer for Cameron Smith as part of the package to join the Saudi-backed series. Smith became arguably the biggest name yet to make the LIV switch, with his move announced just weeks after becoming Open champion at St Andrews.
Smith was reportedly offered £122 million to sign on the dotted line with LIV Golf, but there was also a nice add-on the 29-year-old collected for leaving the PGA Tour behind. As well as his lucrative signing on fee, Norman also gave his fellow Aussie a 25 percent stake in a LIV Golf franchise.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, the Saudi-funded circuit's CEO confirmed that both Smith and fellow countryman Marc Leishman will control an Australian team that will compete in a global league from 2023.
He said: "You’ve got to think about it from Cam’s perspective, he completely understood one thing that other people are struggling to understand: the value LIV Golf brings, and that new value is the franchise. Cam knows about it, but he’s probably a little too young to understand what Kerry Packer did in cricket.
"He did what he did for the players, creating teams and night cricket… look where it’s evolved to from there with the IPL. The value of those teams in India is incredible. That’s the new value we bring."
“[Smith] sees the market that Australia presents and the market which, quite honestly, has been starved of high-quality players and new value for the game of golf. The Presidents Cup comes in there once every seven to 10 years, sucks the economy dry and then disappears.”
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As well as the Australian pair, the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia have also been given the same bonus to control one of the 12 2023 franchise setups. Norman luring in two of his fellow countryman in Smith and Leishman was no doubt a big coup for the breakaway circuit.
However, the CEO was unable to acquire the services of one of Australia's biggest names in Adam Scott. Discussing whether there maybe a move for Scott in the future, Norman revealed it was now down to Aussie franchise leaders Smith and Leishman to lure him in.
He went on: "There were discussions early on with Adam and I think right now with Marc and Cam being the principals of Team Australia, I think quite honestly it’s over to them. They have to build out the most solid team which gives them the best value going forward. Obviously, they’ll come to us and ask us questions, and there’s so much good young talent coming out of Australia."
