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Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, is still on rocky terms with Augusta National Golf Club. For a second straight year, he was denied an invite to The Masters.
Despite the snub, Norman’s son says the golfer was able to gain entry – but as a paying customer!
“The Shark” was sighted on the grounds throughout the week alongside LIV executives. His son says he had to find a ticket on the secondary market.
Yes. All this is true.
My dad paid for a ticket on the secondary market to attend the Masters as a patron. He was denied one directly after going through the proper professional channels. He had to be there anyway to support the LIV players.
It was an amazing experience;… pic.twitter.com/Yt5Uk9r7nG
— Greg Norman Jr (@GregJrNorman) April 11, 2024
“Yes. All this is true,” he said while referencing reports of his father’s Masters denial. “My dad paid for a ticket on the secondary market to attend The Masters as a patron.”
He’s apparently there to support LIV players, 13 of which are in the field.
“I’m here because we have 13 players that won 10 Masters between them,” Greg Norman said in an interview with the Washington Post. “So, I’m here just to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, you know, the boss is here rooting for you.'”
Headlining that list of LIV players is Jon Rahm, who won the event last year.
It seems Augusta National’s stance on Norman hasn’t changed, as this marks the second straight season in which his invite was revoked. He did not attend in 2023.
The denials come despite the golfer’s 23 career Masters appearances where he finished runner-up on three different occasions. The relationship has deteriorated due to his affiliation with former PGA Tour rival, LIV.
As it turns out, many have all but forgotten about the rift with the two leagues set to merge at some point in the future.
“I feel like it’s a non-topic,” ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt said during a recent interview with Dan Le Batard. “It’s amazing how that has changed, in the sense that there was a very clear line in the sand… [Now] it feels that we’re headed toward some conglomerate of sorts, they just have to figure out the money. So, I just don’t think LIV vs. the PGA Tour exists.”
It apparently exists for some!
It will be interest to follow those LIV golfers perform in Augusta over the weekend. Greg Norman will be there to cheer them on.