Greg Norman Calls R&A ‘Petty’ For Not Inviting Him To Open Championship Festivities 

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has been disinvited to the festivities surrounding the Open Championship, including the R&A Celebration of Champions field and the Champions’ Dinner. 

Norman was informed via a letter from the R&A, and the two-time Open champion isn’t thrilled with the decision. 

“I’m disappointed,” Norman told Australian Golf Digest. “I would have thought the R&A would have stayed above it all given their position in world golf. (It’s) petty, as all I have done is promote and grow the game of golf globally, on and off the golf course, for more than four decades.”

Norman is the face of LIV Golf, a new tour that has created controversy since its inception. 

LIV GOLF CEO GREG NORMAN NOT INVITED TO OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FESTIVITIES

Over the past several weeks, dozens of PGA Tour golfers have defected to the LIV Tour, causing the PGA to suspend the players indefinitely and sparking a war of words between players. 

On Saturday, the R&A released a statement announcing that Norman would not be invited to the events prior to the start of the 150th playing of the Open Championship. 

“In response to enquiries regarding The R&A Celebration of Champions field and the Champions’ Dinner, we can confirm that we contacted Greg Norman to advise him that we decided not to invite him to attend on this occasion,” the R&A said in a statement. 

The R&A said that it hopes Norman can “attend again in the future.” 

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Norman was also denied entry into the Open Championship tournament after he requested an exemption as a two-time champion. 

“The entry terms and conditions for The Open stipulate that a champion must be aged 60 or under or have won the championship in the previous 10 years to be exempt from qualifying. That remains the case for The 150th Open and we have no plans for any additional exemptions,” the R&A said in a statement. 

The Open Championship will be played from July 14 to July 17 at the Old Course in St. Andrews.