The 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples took to social media to fire a shot at two-time major winner and LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman after the Aussie has showed up to Augusta National this week multiple days with a ticket in hand.
Norman was first spotted at Augusta National Golf Club on Wednesday, the final practice day ahead of the tournament. He told the Washington Post that he was there to cheer on and support the 13 LIV Golf players who were in the 2024 Masters field. The Post reported Norman was a "ticketed patron" and not an invited guest of Augusta National Golf Club or there on behalf of one of the tournament's corporate sponsors.
The 69-year-old Norman then showed up on Thursday and Friday, wearing his trademark straw hat and a LIV Golf-logoed golf shirt, walking the grounds of the home of the Masters.
Couples found humor in Norman showing up as a "ticketed patron," just like any other patron who would buy a ticket and come to the Masters Tournament. He also found it especially funny -- and he was making an assumption here -- that Norman wasn't given a ticket to attend by any of the 13 LIV Golf players in the field.
13 @livgolf_league players in the field for @themasters and none of them could get @sharkgregnorman a ticket? Greg had to buy one? Next year if you need one Shark let me know.
— fredcouplesgolf (@fredcouplesgolf) April 12, 2024
Norman was repeatedly photographed and spotted by viewers on the broadcast and stream of the tournament, and it became evident that what he was doing was a form of a trolling stunt to draw attention to LIV Golf and the divide in the men's professional game.
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf's ownership, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, have been engaged in a negotiation over a potential agreement to bring together the two tours and incorporate Saudi investment dollars into the PGA Tour. The negotiation is nearing a year after the June 6, 2023, announcement of a framework agreement between the sides and the DP World Tour. However, negotitations have stalled for a variety of reasons, including disagreements between the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan over the integration of LIV Golf and its concepts, like team golf, into the PGA Tour schedule and season.
Meanwhile, while LIV Golf's TV ratings have improved some over their 2023 season on the CW Network, they have remained fairly low. PGA Tour TV ratings in 2024 have taken a bigger hit, with significant drops reported throughout much of the season to date.
