SINGAPORE – LIV Golf’s new chief executive Scott O’Neil has stepped into his role during a transformative period for professional golf.

Uncertainty persists as reunification talks between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and its Saudi backers, the Public Investment Fund, continue without resolution.

While O’Neil “would rather not speculate” on how a potential merger might impact the breakaway series, he remains optimistic, asserting that golf is in “really good shape”.

In an interview ahead of the March 14-16 LIV Singapore, O’Neil said: “We’ll see what happens with the future. If something happens, that would be absolutely wonderful and if something doesn’t happen, we’ll all be wonderful.

“The game of golf is in really good shape – there’s so many committed people, I’ve had the good fortune of walking into the sport from the outside and I’ve been welcomed with open arms.”

The American was appointed LIV’s chief executive in January, taking over former Australian world No. 1 Greg Norman, who oversaw the league’s formative years since its launch in 2022.

Although his most recent role was as the chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, a global company operating theme parks and attractions, O’Neil is a seasoned sports veteran.

He has had experience working with National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League and National Football League outfits. He also worked in the NBA’s league office and was president of Madison Square Garden Sports, which manages professional sports teams.

While this may be his first foray into professional golf, he had been following the developments in the past few years.

Now LIV’s top man, O’Neil maintained faith that the PGA Tour and LIV can co-exist amid questions about golf’s future.

He said: “We have a lot of respect for Jay (Monahan, PGA Tour commissioner) and the PGA, they’re doing some wonderful things.

“They’re a great American sports league and we’re a global sports platform more akin to Formula One so the two sit in a complementary way.”

O’Neil has spent his first two months in charge getting to know the people within the organisation as it works towards its vision to “grow the game of golf and take the biggest stars in the game to the four corners of the world”.

What he has experienced at several LIV stops has impressed him. He cite...