Home/Golf

via Reuters

via Reuters

The 88th Masters is officially underway! It started with nearly a delay of 2. hours because of bad weather, but things are now smooth! However, such was not the case yesterday! The LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman, was spotted at Augusta on Wednesday, and it created mayhem in the golf world! Everybody was curious! Norman had to be there; he had to support 13 LIV golfers competing in the Green Jacket battle! But how did Norman manage to secure a visit at ANGC?

Well, he had to buy a ticket on the resale market after his attempt to directly watch the Masters tournament was denied. His son took to X to clear out the air around his visit in a very detailed post. Greg Norman Jr. confirmed and stated, “Without a doubt, an invitation was not extended to my dad, and in fact, when he tried to buy one directly from them, he was denied. Hence, he had to buy on the secondary market.” This revelation, coming at a time when there are talks of a merger going on, is quite shocking.

Norman Jr.’s tweets suggest that his father’s visit was well-planned. He claimed that the Shark “had to be there anyway to support the LIV players” and that the crowd responded to him with great positivity. The CEO’s son elaborated and said that his father and LIV Golf have garnered a lot of hate over the years. He sternly mentioned it in his post and wrote that the hate stems from “financially incentivized opposing parties or bottom-of-the-barrel sociopathic online trolls.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Urging fans to put all “BS” behind them, Greg Norman Jr. wished for a LIV golfer to bring home the coveted green jacket! How did fans react to the post? It is safe to say that they had mixed feelings regarding the humiliation that Greg Norman had to face at the hands of ANGC.

Fans divided over Greg Norman’s appearance at the Masters

One fan commented, “I’m sure Brooks Koepka is in a much better state of mind now that #themasters biggest choker has come to support him,” suggesting that Norman’s presence at the Masters could harm Brooks Koepka. Norman is referred to as the “biggest choker” in the tournament’s history because of his 1996 Masters fiasco. He went into the last round with a 6-shot lead and badly lost the tournament after he beefed his lead.

Another fan said, “If your dad would’ve won one he wouldn’t have to worry about getting a ticket”, implying that if Norman had won the Masters during his playing career, he would not have faced the issue of being denied entry to the tournament. One cannot say Norman didn’t try, he did, but just could not succeed!

One fan simply tweeted, “Good glad kick him out.” This reaction represents the opposing view, where some supporters of the PGA Tour see Norman’s presence at the Masters as an unwelcome intrusion and believe he should be barred from the tournament altogether.

A golf fan posted, “That shows you the lack of class from Lurch Ridley and the @TheMasters.” This reaction from a fan suggests that they see the authorities’ decision to deny Norman direct access as a lack of sportsmanship and professionalism. It seems that Norman should have been officially there with his league’s players to support them!

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Read more: The Golf Majors Will Survive Despite Talor Gooch’s Bold ‘Asterisk’ Claim

On the other hand, a fan questioned whether Norman was “banned from the masters or been denied access for a long time now.” This year’s attendance was Norman’s first since 2021, and his invitation from 2023 was withheld because the authorities wanted to keep the focus on the competition rather than the entire LIV Golf-PGA Tour feud that was way more prominent last year.

Another fan described the situation as “the most bush league thing I have seen yet from the PGA/LIV rift. Straight childish behavior on their part.” Masters is supposed to be a tournament that encapsulates the tradition and legacy that golf is well-renowned for! This move by the authorities appeared to catch fans off guard.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

With the tournament going on in full swing, will we get to see Norman again on the greens? It remains to be seen!

Read more: ‘I Want to Be at the Majors’: LIV Golf Pro Fumes at Biased OWGR Treatment Amid DP World Tour Return