The Australian professional, Greg Norman, revealed that he has not received the customary Masters invite. Once the man who seemed destined to conquer Augusta, Norman now speaks of the Masters as something that never quite embraced him.
“Well, I won’t be there, that’s for sure; I never received the normal invitation from the Masters. I won’t even watch it [because] I will be out of the country, to be honest with you,” Norman told The Sunday Morning Herald via a phone call.
“It just seems like I’ve moved on from that, too, which is a crying shame because [the] Masters and Augusta and a number of friends I have in Augusta National, the powers to be decided to go in a different direction. So, I have to accept that.”
Greg Norman won’t attend the #Masters after being overlooked again by Augusta National for a guest invitation that’s customarily given to past major winners. https://t.co/UDRPLVOP0R
— Evin Priest (@EvinPriest) April 7, 2026
Greg Norman, who won the Open Championship in 1986 and 1983, didn’t receive an invitation for the 3rd time since he joined LIV Golf. Previously, he didn’t receive it in 2023 and 2024. However, he did buy his own ticket to visit Augusta National and watch the Masters live in 2024.
“Getting out to the venue was something that I really, really enjoyed when I bought my own ticket a couple of years ago to go there,” Norman said.
The reason he didn’t receive the invites in 2023 and 2024 was his association with LIV Golf. Augusta National’s chairman, Fred Ridley, said he wanted to focus on the Masters rather than the commotion between the Saudi-backed league and the PGA Tour. He also revealed that Greg Norman attended the tournament just twice in the past 10 invitations sent to him.
However, Norman will have enough distractions to keep him busy this time around. He will be out of the country because he has to attend a meeting for his golf course design company. He also stated that while he won’t be present in person or watching the event, he will follow the results day by day to stay current.
The 20x PGA Tour winner has now left the position of CEO of LIV Golf. He handed over the responsibilities to Scott O’Neil and is currently focusing on his brand. He has already worked on 140 courses across 35 countries and is now looking forward to moving on from the snub.
“It just seems like I’ve moved on from that, too, which is a crying shame because [the] Masters and Augusta and a number of friends I have in Augusta National, the powers to be decided to go in a different direction. So, I have to accept that.”
The timing of this incident adds another layer to the story. Norman’s iconic setback from the 1996 Masters is turning 30 this year.
Nick Faldo’s take on defeating Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters
In his amazing career, comprising 20 PGA Tour wins and 14 DP World Tour titles, Norman has never won the Masters. He did have a golden opportunity in 1996.
The Australian was heading into Sunday with a massive six-stroke lead. However, fellow DP World Tour pro Nick Faldo hit a round of 67 to not only get close to Norman but defeat him by 5 strokes.
Norman has moved from raw anguish to a more graceful, almost philosophical reflection on 1996. He acknowledged that he choked but also accepted that it did not erase his career.
Faldo, on the other hand, frames his win as the most astonishing and fulfilling of the six majors he has won. He scored 67 on the final day to close the gap and take the lead. He considers it the best round of his life.
In a Sky Sports documentary, the Englishman revealed that his first aim was to get within three shots by the back nine. However, since he was the chaser here, he didn’t have a lot of pressure. Things were different for Norman, though.
Faldo also revealed a grip change that could have become a pressure point for the Australian veteran.
“I later learnt he was working on a new grip and you know, that was all part of playing well but on a Sunday, it was now a weakness. It’s a new pressure point isn’t it,” Faldo said.
Nick Faldo’s calculated charge and composure on that final Sunday turned 1996 into a defining moment of his legacy. Decades later, that same tournament still casts a long shadow over Greg Norman.
