The R&A to Greg Norman: Stay away from the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews
The R&A said no way to Greg Norman.
The ruler of the game’s Rules of Golf outside the U.S. and Mexico who also stage the Open Championship announced Saturday it had reached out to Norman to tell him he was not invited to play in the Celebration of Champions on Monday.
Norman, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, won the Open Championship in 1986 at Turnberry and in 1993 at Royal St. George’s. But Norman is the head of LIV Golf, the Saudi Arabia-backed rival league that has lured top stars away from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and caused angst in golf’s world order.
“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. We hope that when circumstances allow, Greg will be able to attend again in the future.”
