Greg Norman’s Stubbornness Leaves Bryson DeChambeau Scrambling to Save Own Fate at the Masters

As the Masters’ leaderboard continues to fluctuate, anticipation steadily builds at Augusta National. While every professional competing for the green jacket at the prestigious tournament desires victory, for some, winning is crucial as it could serve as a pivotal moment in their career.

The conditions mentioned above appear to apply to the American golfer, Bryson DeChambeau. Tied for the T1 position alongside Max Homa and Scottie Scheffler after Friday, this tournament is a must-win for DeChambeau. His victory at the 2020 US Open helped him earn exemptions for all the majors until 2025. But the clock on that is ticking soon!

If he fails to secure the green jacket this time, the 31-year-old will have only one more chance left to compete at Augusta, unless the OWGR accreditation, other major wins, or other exemptions like top finishes at other majors fall into place for him. If Mr. 58 wins, he will also receive a lifetime exemption to compete at Augusta. Currently ranked #210, this win could also propel the American golfer up to #21 in the OWGR rankings. Indeed, a lot is on the line for the LIV golfer!

As per the Masters criteria, all the players who are in the top 50 on January 1 are invited to compete. But, due to LIV Golf’s recent decision to withdraw their request for world-ranking points, the Masters win stands as DeChambeau’s only full-proof chance to secure a spot in future editions of the tournament, given his affiliation with the Saudi-funded league.

Greg Norman withdrew the OWGR application

In July 2022, the league applied for accreditation with the Official World Golf Ranking. However, ranking officials denied this request in October 2023. When questioned about the reason behind the decision, the chairman of the ranking board, Peter Dawson, responded to the Associated Press, stating, “They’re just not playing in a format where they can be ranked equitably with the other 24 tours and thousands of players trying to compete on them.” 

Following this response, Greg Norman wrote a memo to players who were then competing at LIV Golf Hong Kong. “This is not a decision that we made lightly.” While referring to the reason behind his withdrawal, Norman further continued, “After spending the last 18 months in almost constant dialogue with various members of the OWGR Technical Committee and board, it is now clear that the best way forward for LIV as a league and you as LIV golfers is not through the current ranking system.” 

Since the withdrawal of the request, LIV golfers’ door to OWGR has been shut down unless competing in majors! Will DeChambeau win and secure his infinite Masters dream? It remains to be seen!