Greg Norman, the Australian golfing legend, is a three-time runner up at The Masters. He finished as bride’s maid in 1986, 1987 and 1996. It’s hard to tell the history of Augusta National without mentioning Norman’s exploits.
But in recent years, he has become a divisive subject in the golf world. The LIV Golf CEO has been a staunch proponent of the Saudi-funded rival tour, going so far as to credit LIV with the PGA Tour’s $3 billion deal with Strategic Sports Group.
Despite the discord between Norman and the PGA Tour, he was seen walking the grounds at Augusta National Wednesday.
But his presence is not what is most interesting, but the capacity with which he is there.
Norman is a ticketed patron on the grounds, according to the Washington Post.
“Walking around here today, there’s not one person who said to me, ‘Why did you do LIV?’” he told the Washington Post. “There’s been hundreds of people… stopping me, saying, ‘Hey, what you’re doing is fantastic.’ To me that tells you that the platform we have fits within the ecosystem and it’s good for the game of golf.”
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
It is hard to know how genuine and accurate his claim is. But there is little doubt that love still exists for ‘The Shark.’
Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley previously disclosed he withheld an invitation to Norman in 2023, stating that he wanted to keep “focus on the competition.”
So, Norman took it upon himself to find his way through the main gates alongside a couple of LIV executives.
“I’m here because we have 13 players but won 10 Masters between them,” Norman said. “So I’m just here to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, the boss is here rooting for you.’”
Indeed some of the best players on the LIV tour will tee it up this week, including reigning champion Jon Rahm.
It’s anyone’s guess who will win The Masters. But with the talent sent from LIV, it would not be surprising if Norman was celebrating Sunday evening.
Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social media platforms.