Greg Norman Claims 'Hundreds Of People' Praised Him For Helping Create LIV Golf During Surprise Masters Visit

Greg Norman was not invited to attend the Masters a year ago, but the LIV Golf CEO was spotted walking the grounds of Augusta National in the leadup to this year's tournament and apparently received a very warm welcome from patrons.

The 2023 edition of the Masters marked the first time players from both LIV and the PGA Tour would tee it up together at Augusta, and the prospect of Norman being there was seen as a potential distraction. The tournament took place prior to the Tour and Saudi PIF - the sole funder of LIV - announcing a framework agreement, one that we have still yet to see come to fruition.

 (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Despite there still being a massive divide in professional golf that was created in large part by the emergence of LIV, the powers that be at Augusta National clearly don't see Norman's presence as a distraction, or at least not a major one, given his attendance at this year's Masters.

It's worth noting that it doesn't appear Augusta National rolled ou the red (green) carpet for him, however. According to Telegraph Sport, he was in attendance as a paying customer.

Norman was spotted greeting fellow Aussie Min Woo Lee during Wednesdays practice rounds and was happy to share that his welcome from everyone on the grounds was just that, welcoming.

"Walking around here today, there’s not one person who said to me, 'Why did you do LIV?'" Norman told the Washington Post. "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."

There is no reason to believe that Norman, who finished runner-up three times at the Masters, isn't telling the truth in this instance. There are plenty of LIV Golf fans, and even fans who support both tours, despite what folks on social media will tell you.

There is also plenty of reason to believe that for as many supporters who stopped Norman to tell him how great LIV is, there are plenty walking around Augusta National who don't agree with anything he or LIV Golf has done since its inception.

Thankfully, we live in the United States, and differing opinions are a-okay.