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LIV Golf is implementing another potential incentive for players to jump to its Saudi-backed startup venture.
LIV CEO Greg Norman announced Friday that its golfers will be allowed to wear shorts on tour during all competitions, not just in practice rounds like on the PGA Tour.
“It’s official. As of tomorrow, LIV players will be able to wear shorts. The first league or tour ever to make it official,” Norman says in the 12-second video posted to LIV’s social media accounts.
Norman also tagged top defector Phil Mickelson from his personal Twitter account, writing “Time to show off those calves @PhilMickelson,” with the three-time Masters champion replying, “I can’t wait.”
Wearing shorts instead of long pants during tournaments has been a much-debated topic on the PGA Tour for the last several years; they have been permitted to be worn during practice rounds since February 2019.
LIV Golf is playing this week at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts, and players were allowed to wear shorts beginning Saturday. LIV previously had also allowed shorts during practice rounds and pro-am tournaments.
The 67-year-old Norman arrived Friday at the first tee of the Boston-area tournament via parachute. Talor Gooch leads through two rounds by one stroke over Joaquin Niemann and by two over Dustin Johnson.
Frog-X Navy SEAL parachute team descending from the sky and landing on the LIV golf first fairway, CEO and golf legend Greg Norman on a tandem jump, something you’d more likely see at a football game. Controversial Saudi-funded tour round 1 is underway. #WCVB pic.twitter.com/PtMZbT6Eni
— Josh Brogadir (@JoshBrogadirTV) September 2, 2022“There’s no question LIV is disruptive,” Mickelson told Sports Illustrated on Thursday. “We’ve made some major disruption to the sport of golf, and have created some really unique opportunities for players and fans. And we’re just getting started.”
The former European Tour, now known as the DP World Tour, allowed players to wear shorts at a tournament in South Africa in 2020 due to sweltering temperatures.
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