The 2022 Open Championship is fast approaching. It will, unfortunately, take place partly under the cloud of the ongoing circus surrounding the LIV Golf series.
The Saudi-backed competitor to the PGA Tour continues to dominate conversations in golfing spheres, and that will be no different in the buildup to the Open.
The organisers of the third major of the year appear to be alert to the media furore, and have taken steps to ensure that it will not dominate the weekend. They released a statement on Saturday confirming that two-time Open winner Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, will not be invited to this year's champions dinner.
Open 2022: Greg Norman uninvited from champions dinner
Greg Norman has courted criticism in recent weeks for his involvement in the LIV Golf series. He was at the centre of one of the series' first controversies on its opening weekend, while his involvement also drew a barb from Rory McIlroy after the Northern Irishman won the Canadian Open. Just last week, he himself threw shade at the Irish Open, which was competing for viewers with the second LIV Golf event in Portland.
McIlroy and the world's best golfers are preparing for the Open Championship, which tees off on Thursday at St. Andrew's. It is an historic occasion, as the tournament will mark the 150th time the Open has been played.
In a statement released on Saturday, the R&A (the organisers of the competition) confirmed that Greg Norman will not be invited to attend the traditional champions dinner on this historic weekend. They said:
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 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 future.
Norman won the Open in 1986 and 1993, his only two major wins.
Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir noted on Twitter that Norman had said previously he did not plan to attend, unless he was invited to play in the tournament itself.
I should add… I asked Greg a couple of months ago if he’d attend the Celebration of Champions.
He said he hadn’t been asked yet but he wasn’t going to come all the way from Florida just for a four hole exhibition, he’d only come if the R&A invited him to play in The Open itself https://t.co/0UrfX89KNs— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) July 9, 2022
This week has brought renewed criticism for the LIV Golf series, after Ian Poulter was granted permission to play in the Scottish Open despite a ban on players from the rival series. Rory McIlroy criticised the decision to allow Poulter to play, while American Billy Horschel called the LIV Golfers "hypocrites".
The Open Championship weekend will no doubt bring more tensions surrounding the LIV Golf fallout, but the organisers will be hoping for an exciting tournament without controversy.
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