Greg Norman made a shock appearance as a patron at this week’s Masters Tournament, and opted to follow his arch PGA Tour rival Rory McIlroy during Thursday’s first round.
Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, has faced criticism for his behavior towards his PGA Tour competitor Rory McIlroy, with some describing it as ‘awkward’. This comes after the former top-ranked golfer surprised fans by attending this week’s Masters tournament as a patron.
Norman made an appearance at Augusta on both Wednesday and Thursday. He decided to accompany McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele for the first round. The fact that the Australian chose this particular group surprised many, considering his past conflicts with the Northern Irishman.
Despite the efforts of the Saudi-backed league’s boss, who was also present, he failed to capture the attention of the renowned four-time major champion.
Chris Solomon, from the No Laying Up Podcast, shared an interesting encounter with me. He mentioned that someone approached him and shared a rather peculiar incident involving Norman and Rory during the practice round yesterday. Apparently, Norman was acting quite awkwardly, trying to get Rory’s attention by walking up to him on the ropes near hole five. It was described as a rather strange and unusual behavior.
Indeed, I arrive at five and spot the Shark casually hanging out on the ropes, seemingly eager to catch Rory’s attention. Despite being engaged in conversation with others, the Shark immediately shifts his focus to Rory upon his approach, staring at him in an awkward manner.
The scene was incredibly strange. It seemed as though Rory never even glanced over, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. Norman positioned himself near the putting green, observing Rory’s approach. He then walked towards a rope and stood there, wearing a smug and mocking grin. As Rory passed by without acknowledging him, Norman simply turned around and returned to the putting green.
Norman tried his hardest, but unfortunately, he couldn’t catch McIlroy’s attention. After McIlroy’s round of one-under-par 71 on Thursday, he confessed that he didn’t even realize Norman was there. When asked if he saw Norman in the crowd, McIlroy simply said, “I did not. Didn’t see him.”
Norman surprised many by attending Augusta during the first round on Wednesday. Greg Jr, the son of LIV CEO, took to social media to confirm that his father, a two-time major winner, had to buy his own ticket from a secondary market after being denied one through official channels.
My father purchased a ticket from the secondary market to go to the Masters as a spectator,” he shared on Twitter. “Despite being denied one through official channels, he still made it there to cheer on the LIV players. It turned out to be an incredible experience; numerous golf enthusiasts approached him as he walked outside the ropes.
Every individual showed their positive support towards him and LIV. No negative comments were made towards him. The reason for sharing this is to highlight that despite facing hate in the past, it mainly comes from financially motivated opponents or malicious online trolls. Most people we encounter are supportive, encouraging, fans of LIV, or just fans of golf.
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