Norman, a two-time Open champion, is now heading LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed insurgent tour. In a press release the R&A admitted that they had not invited for fears that his presence would detract from the a hundred and fiftieth championship celebrations.
“In response to enquiries relating to The R&A Celebration of Champions area and the Champions’ Dinner, we are able to verify that we contacted Greg Norman to advise him that we determined to not invite him to attend on this event,” mentioned an R&A press release.
The R&A have instructed Greg Norman that he’s not being invited to participate of their Celebration of Champions occasion or the normal Champions’ Dinner to the a hundred and fiftieth Open at St Andrews.
“The a hundred and fiftieth Open is an especially essential milestone for golf and we wish to make sure that the main focus stays on celebrating the Championship and its heritage. Sadly, we don’t consider that might be the case if Greg had been to attend.
“We hope that when circumstances enable Greg will have the ability to attend once more in future.”
Norman had beforehand indicated a want to play in the primary area on this yr’s Open, and requested a particular exemption. Nonetheless the R&A refused his request.
The Australian’s exemption from qualifying for his two titles – at Turnberry in 1986 and Sandwich in 1992 – expired when he turned 60 in 2015. His solely path to taking part in was via Last Qualifying, however he didn’t enter that competitors two weeks in the past.
He has not performed in The Open since 2009. His exemption was nonetheless lively for the 2010 and 2015 Opens at St Andrews, however he declined to play each occasions.
Norman has since develop into the high-profile chief of the brand new LIV Golf tour, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Personal Funding fund. A number of main gamers have signed contracts to play LIV Golf occasions and been banned from the established excursions.
The Celebration of Champions is an enhanced model of the Champions’ Problem held on the Opens of 2000 and 2015 at St Andrews.
In these, surviving champion golfers performed a mini-tournament over the first, 2nd, seventeenth and 18th holes of the Outdated Course.
That occasion has been enhanced this yr with the inclusion of winners of the R&A’s championships in girls’s golf, novice golf and disabled golf.
The Champions’ Dinner, held on the Tuesday night of Open week, is a gathering of surviving former champion golfers within the R&A clubhouse. The dinner is simply ever held when The Open is being performed at St Andrews.
