- Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, made waves on Wednesday afternoon when he showed up at The Masters as a “ticketed patron” to support the 13 players from LIV Golf competing in the first major of the 2024 season.
It was Norman’s first appearance at Augusta National since taking over as CEO of LIV Golf in 2022. Norman is 69 years old.
Norman finished third at The Masters three times, in 1986, 1987, and 1996. He never won the tournament.
In the latter, after a miserable final-round 78, he gave up a huge lead to Nick Faldo.
Australian Golf Digest reports that The Great White Shark was strolling the renowned Georgia turf as a customer from outside the ropes.
He was accompanied by a security guard as well.
Norman was decked up in his signature long-sleeve LIV Golf shirt and white straw hat.
The two-time Open champion was seen chatting with Min Woo Lee, a standout on the PGA Tour, who had previously disclosed that he had a fractured finger.
Getty Images’ David Cannon captured the conversation between Norman and Lee, two Australian citizens.
Last year, when asked if Norman would ever be welcome back to the season’s first major championship, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley responded, “Never say never”.
Norman was not an invited visitor; rather, the Washington Post claims that he was a “ticketed patron” for Wednesday’s practice round.
Norman “didn’t bother waiting for an invitation and came to the course with a pair of LIV executives through the main gate,” according to a source from the Washington Post.
The patrons of Augusta reportedly greeted Norman with great joy upon his arrival.
In an on-course interview, Norman said: “Walking around here today, there’s not one person who said to me, ‘Why did you do LIV?’
“There’s been hundreds of people, even security guys, stopping me, saying, ‘Hey, what you’re doing is fantastic.’
“To me, that tells you that what we have and the platform fits within the ecosystem, and it’s good for the game of golf.”
As for why Norman decided to turn up at The Masters on Wednesday, he said:
“I’m here because we have 13 players but won 10 Masters between them. So I’m just here to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, the boss is here rooting for you.’”
I’m here because we have 13 players but won 10 Masters between them. So I’m just here to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, the boss is here rooting for you.’”
Here are the 13 LIV Golf players in action at the 2024 Masters:
- Jon Rahm
- Sergio Garcia
- Brooks Koepka
- Dustin Johnson
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Adrian Meronk
- Phil Mickelson
- Joaquin Niemann
- Patrick Reed
- Charl Schwartzel
- Cameron Smith
- Bubba Watson
