LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman Not Invited To Open Championship Festivities

The Open Championship is not down with Greg Norman. 

The 150th playing of The Open Championship will take place next weekend at the Old Course in St. Andrews, and the two-time winner of the tournament will not be in attendance. 

On Saturday, the R&A announced that Norman – the CEO of LIV Golf – is not invited to the pre-tournament festivities. 

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“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 150th Open is an extremely important milestone for golf and we want to ensure that the focus remains on celebrating the Championship and its heritage. Unfortunately, we do not believe that would be the case if Greg were to attend. 

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

The Saudi-backed LIV Tour made its controversial entrance into the world of golf in June, as dozens of golfers have defected from the PGA Tour to join the big paydays at LIV.

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While players on the LIV Tour have been suspended indefinitely from PGA Tour events, the R&A announced in late June that LIV golfers would be allowed to compete at St. Andrews. 

“The Open is golf’s original championship and since it was first played in 1860, openness has been fundamental to its ethos and unique appeal,” Slumbers said in a media release, according to Golfweek.  

“Players who are exempt or have earned a place through qualifying for The 150th Open in accordance with the entry terms and conditions will be able to compete in the Championship at St Andrews. We are focused on staging a world class championship in July and celebrating this truly historic occasion for golf. We will invest the proceeds of The Open, as we always do, for the benefit of golf which reflects our purpose to ensure that the sport is thriving 50 years from now.”

LIV golfers Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Kevin Na are a few of the LIV players who are expected to participate in the 150th playing of the Open Championship.