Greg Norman is ‘disappointed’ after being denied a special exemption to the 150th Open Championship in St. Andrews
Greg Norman is in the news again. Looking for a special exemption for this year’s Open Championship in St. Andrews, the 150th edition of the ranked championship, the 67-year-old is speaking out after the R&A turned down his request to join the field.
“I’m disappointed with their decision, especially since it’s the 150th Open,” said Norman Australian Golf Digest. “I’ve been an avid supporter of the R&A since 1977 and a Proud Champion Golfer of the Year – twice.”
After being informed that there would be no special exemptions for this year’s Open, the Australian sent a letter to the R&A – the governing body that values the Open – in hopes of making a change. decision.
“We have responded to him. There has been no change to our position,” an R&A spokesperson confirmed to the magazine.
Norman initially expressed his desire to participate in the Open Championship a few weeks ago with NewsCorp Australia. The R&A was quick to respond, issuing a statement that it would not be adding any exemptions to this year’s Open.
“The terms and conditions of participation in The Open stipulate that a champion must be 60 years of age or younger or have won the championship in the previous 10 years to be exempt from qualifying,” the R&A announced in April. “That remains the case for The 150th Open and we have no plans for any additional waivers.”
This will be Norman’s first competitive tournament in just about 10 years, and his first major championship since the 2009 Open, a year after he led 54 holes and eventually finished in second place. Tuesday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
Home of Golf is the unofficial parking spot for prominent former Open champions, but not for Norman, who has confirmed he will not be participating in an open qualifier for the championship. .
Jack Nicklaus walks into the sunset at St. Andrews in 2005, making a memorable birdie on his last hole the year Tiger Woods lifted his second pitcher. Tom Watson followed in Nicklaus’ footsteps, albeit a decade later, completing his Open career in 2015.
Mark Calcavecchia will join Nicklaus and Watson on this aspect later this summer, when the 61-year-old will play in his Open Final. The 1989 Champion Golfer of the Year ended his career at the Open championship at Royal St. George’s in 2020 before it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
