Masters 2023: Why are LIV Golf players are allowed to play? Has Greg Norman ever won The Masters?

The 2023 Masters tournament features 18 LIV players as the PGA Tour players go up against their counterparts for the green jacket at Augusta National in Georgia.

It is the first time LIV players will have competed at the tournament, following the launch of the Saudi-backed last year.

However, the LIV players will be familiar with the Augusta course, having competed at The Masters on previous occasions. It was announced in December that LIV players would be allowed to compete at The Masters.

LIV players will be able to compete at all four majors this year, as the PGA Tour does not govern the Masters, The Open Championship, PGA Championship and U.S. Open, meaning the PGA has no control over who can enter any of the tournaments.

However, Augusta National and Masters chairman Fred Ridley warned in December the criteria could change for entry into future Masters tournaments, which may be announced in April.

“As we have said in the past, we look at every aspect of the tournament each year, and any modifications or changes to invitation criteria for future tournaments will be announced in April,” he said in his December statement.

Has Greg Norman won the Masters?

The LIV golf CEO won 20 PGA Tour titles, as well as 14 on the European Tour. He won two majors during his career, as he claimed the Claret Jug at The Open Championship in 1986 and 1993.

He has finished second in every other major, finishing just behind the leader at The Masters in 1986, 1987 and 1996. He was also second at the PGA Championship in 1986 and again in 1993. At the US Open, he came in second in 1984 and 1995.

Norman has not been invited to this year’s Masters, as chairman Ridley says “keeping focus on the competition” was the reason behind the decision.

“We did not extend an invitation to Mr Norman,” said Ridley.

“The primary issue and the driver there is that I want the focus this week to be on the Masters competition, on the great players that are participating, the greatest players in the world.

“By our decision in December, we ensured that we were going to honour and be consistent with our invitation criteria. I would also add that, in the last 10 years, Greg Norman has only been here twice, and I believe one of those was as a commentator for Sirius Radio.

“It really was to keep the focus on the competition.”