LIV's Greg Norman Wasn't Invited to 2023 Masters; Augusta Wants Focus on Tournament

Masters chairman Fred Ridley confirmed Wednesday that LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman was not invited to Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, this week for the 87th Masters tournament.

According to Jason Sobel of The Action Network, Ridley said the following about the decision: "I want the focus to be on the competition. I would also add that in the last 10 years, Greg Norman has only been here twice."

Commissioners of other major golf tours are typically invited to the Masters, but the tension between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is well-documented due largely to the number of quality players LIV has poached from the PGA Tour over the past year.

LIV Golf, which was founded in 2021 and began play last year, is financially backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which has allowed it to pay out huge contracts and provide bigger purses for tournaments than the PGA Tour typically does.

As a result, many big-name golfers have made the leap from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Sergio Garcia, among others.

While the PGA Tour has banned LIV golfers from participating in regular PGA Tour events, players from LIV Golf can still compete in major tournaments if eligible.

That is why many LIV Golf stars will be competing alongside the best the PGA Tour has to offer at Augusta, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa.

Norman was a two-time winner of the Open Championship during his illustrious playing career, and although he finished second at the Masters three times, he never won the green jacket.

As a result, Masters executives are technically under no obligation to invite him to Augusta for the tournament.

Over the past several years, multiple current LIV Golf players have won the Masters, including Johnson in 2020, Reed in 2018, Garcia in 2017 and Watson in both 2012 and 2014.

Last year, during the first season of LIV Golf, no LIV Golf players managed to capture a major title.

When the 2023 Masters officially tee off Thursday, Scheffler will look to defend his title after beating McIlroy by three strokes last year.