LIV CEO Greg Norman claims to get overwhelming support at Augusta despite being a ticketed fan - “It’s good for the game of golf”

Greg Norman didn’t get an invite to the 2024 Masters despite playing 23 times in the competition. The ace golfer, known as the ‘Great White Shark’, was denied an invite to the Augusta National due to the PGA Tour’s ongoing friction with LIV Golf.

However, the breakaway tour CEO decided to go anyway and showed up at the event on Wednesday as a ticketed fan.

Norman walked the course like every other audience member during the practice rounds. He was spotted in the crowd, walking outside the ropes as he watched players, including 13 LIV golfers, get ready for the main tournament. Following this, he came out to state that he received overwhelming support from patrons at Augusta.

The 69-year-old claimed that several fans, including the Masters-host course staff, lauded him for the growth of LIV Golf.

LIV CEO Greg Norman said on Wednesday:

“Walking around here today, there’s not one person who said to me, ‘Why did you do LIV?’ 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."

"I’m here because we have 13 players that won 10 Masters between them. So I’m here just to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, you know, the boss is here rooting for you,’” he added.

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Greg Norman unhappy with LIV golfers' omission from the Masters

It is pertinent to note that LIV Golf’s presence at the Masters remains a debate topic. The qualification process, which allowed 13 LIV stars on the coveted event’s roster, stirred several questions.

While past champions like Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, and Charl Schwartzel automatically qualified for the weekend, others like Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton and got in with special exemptions.

Players like Talor Gooch, Abraham Ancer, Paul Casey and Louis Oosthuizen were omitted from the field due to their low ranking. Notably, this didn’t sit well with Greg Norman.

Speaking from Augusta, the Shark said a couple of his players have been overlooked. He said there were “quality players that have done incredible performances over the last six to nine months” that are worthy of a spot in the prestigious major.

Despite the limited field, many believe a LIV golfer could win the Green Jacket this year. According to BetMGM, Rahm is the favorite to defend his title. The Spaniard comes into the Augusta weekend with 11-1 odds, followed by Koepka with 20-1 odds. Smith (25-1), Niemann (28-1), DeChambeau (33-1), and Johnson (33-1) are other big names from the breakaway tour to watch this weekend.