Mickelson pulls out of past champions’ event as R&A banish LIV leader Norman
PHIL MICKELSON has saved the R&A further acrimony following their decision to ban two-time champion Greg Norman from the 150th Open.
Golf bosses have delivered the unprecedented snub to LIV Golf rebel leader Norman (below) by barring him from competing in the four-hole Celebration of Champions event at the Old Course tomorrow and also the Champions Dinner on Tuesday.
And fellow rebel Mickelson has informed the organisers of the event that he has no wish to take part in the celebrity contest.
The marquee group of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Lee Trevino and Georgia Hall has already been announced. However, while Mickelson has ruled himself out, it is unclear whether the 2013 winner at Muirfield plans to attend the Champions Dinner to be held in the R&A clubhouse on Tuesday.
Mickelson is suspended from the PGA Tour and has lost multiple sponsors because of his involvement in LIV competitions and the sentiment regarding human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.
The decision to black ball Norman amounts to a mighty slap in the face for the 67-year-old Australian, who is CEO of the Saudi-backed series.
They clearly feel that Norman’s presence would detract from the build-up to the Open and prove a distraction, given the media frenzy that has surrounded the emergence of a third force in world golf.
The Open winner of 1986 and 1993 called the decision not to invite him ‘petty’, saying: ‘I would have thought the R&A would have stayed above it all given their position in world golf. (It’s) petty, as all I have done is promote and grow the game of golf globally, on and off the golf course, for more than four decades.’
The news that Norman is persona non grata was delivered in an R&A statement issued at around midday yesterday.
‘In response to enquiries regarding the R&A Celebration of Champions field and 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,’ they stated.
‘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.’
It was stressed that their decision does not take the form of a lifetime ban for the 1986 champion at Turnberry and 1993 winner at Sandwich. The statement added: ‘We hope that when circumstances allow Greg will be able to attend again in future.’
However, the move is likely to widen the rift between the DP World and the PGA Tours, and the rival group who have split the golf world in recent weeks.
LIV Golf have already put up $25million to stage two of its planned eight events in 2022, with 2017 Open champion Jordan
Spieth denying rumours that he was considering joining the breakaway circuit on Friday.