Tensions thawing? LIV Golf CEO on site at Royal Troon after R&A invite

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman attends the British Open

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman is on site at Royal Troon after being issued an invite to the 152nd British Open Championship by the R&A.

Back in April, Greg Norman made headlines as he purchased a ticket to The Masters at Augusta National, after the tournament denied him a professional ticket when he applied through the official channels. The R&A had previously excluded Norman from the Champions Dinner at the 150th Open in St Andrews in 2022, after he launched LIV Golf only a month earlier.

On Saturday’s third round of the 152nd British Open Championship at Royal Troon, Norman was spotted at the event sporting an R&A guest badge, confirming that the organisation had honoured their recent promise to extend the same privileges to him that it extends to all past Open Champions.

Norman appeared delighted to be back at The Open when he spoke to Golf Digest on Saturday afternoon.

“The Open has a lot of history for me. To me, it was the best championship of all. The Masters is the Masters, but I put this one up above all four of them because it is a true open. I love the way they rotate the host course and it’s links golf. In my professional career, I prided myself on coming back and playing the Open Championship.”

Norman explained how it feels as if the dust is settling on the PGA and LIV Golf divide, after several LIV Golf players were granted exemptions to the PGA Championship earlier this year, and 18 players competing at the British Open Championship.

“I think in the beginning there was a lot of I guess misinterpretation of the situation. I love seeing the way things have settled down, now. Everybody’s seen that within the ecosystem, LIV Golf has been accepted and the players deserve to be in these big championships.”

Only time will tell what ongoing discussions between the PGA and PIF will lead to in regards to a joint venture between the two organisations, but Tiger Woods did seem encouraged when he spoke to the media before his opening round at Royal Troon earlier this week. When asked if he was happy with the way negotiations were progressing, he responded “Yes, I am.”

Norman also commented on the course hosting the 152nd Open Championship. “Troon is a tough golf course,” he said. “Yesterday, the wind for the first couple of holes, around 1 p.m. or 2 p.m., was blowing really solid. And then when you make the turn, you’ve got all that wind pushing the ball towards the railway line around Nos. 10 and 11. Those holes become even more difficult because you never play the golf course truly straight into the wind or straight downwind. It’s always testing your ball flight and how you spin the golf ball. It’s a quirky golf course and you have to put it in the right place.”

About the author

Sarah Pyett – Deputy Digital Editor

Sarah Pyett is the Deputy Digital Editor of todays-golfer.com. She plays off a handicap of 4, and specializes in ladies’ equipment reviews, including drivers, irons, and golf balls.

After a career in a golf professional shop, and earning a qualification in golf club management, Sarah joined Bauer in 2014 as a Web Producer for Today’s Golfer. She has since worked across multiple brands in a mixture of digital marketing and paid media roles, before returning to focus on golf full-time as Deputy Digital Editor in 2024.

You can get in touch with her on email or Instagram.