Greg Norman Told By The R&A To Check Resale Market For Open Championship Tickets
Greg Norman has become a controversial figure in the golf world as the earliest public face of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. So much so that the former world number one and Champion Golfer of the Year had to buy his own ticket to The Masters earlier in April.
And now it looks like he'll have to buy his own ticket to one of the other majors this year if he wants to attend.
The Open Championship at Royal Troon is still nearly three months away, but the tournament has already indicated it has no intention of making any special arrangements for Norman if he wants to attend. Officials from the Royal & Ancient, the governing body responsible for hosting The Open, confirmed to golf publication bunkered that they have no record of Norman being set to attend the event in late-July. And then threw a little dig in at the end, suggesting he look on the resale market for tickets.
"I think they [LIV] would have let me know if there was. So I'm not aware that he's bought a ticket so far," said Mike Woodcock, R&A director of corporate communications. "Obviously, there are tickets still available on the re-sale platform or hospitality. He's very welcome to look there."
LIV CEO Greg Norman. (Photo by Jamie Squire/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Greg Norman Has Contentious Relationship With R&A, Most Everyone Else
Norman and the Royal & Ancient had disagreed publicly several years ago after he wasn't permitted to play in The Open's 150th Anniversary tournament at St. Andrews and wasn't invited to participate in celebrations and ceremonies around the event.
While much of the animosity between the traditional golf tours or organizations and LIV has dissipated over the past several years, clearly there are still some personal disagreements involving Norman in particular. It's also a sign that for the R&A and other organizations, LIV is still not afforded the same privileges as the PGA Tour.
It's hard to imagine, for example, PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan not being given access to The Open Championship if he wanted it.
Norman still has a few months to decide if he wants to buy a ticket and receive the praise and adoration he claims he received at The Masters. Or if one of the LIV players competing in the event wants to help him out with a pass. They can certainly afford it.