'No intention': Sinister theory emerges about Greg Norman 'comeback'

Greg Norman's plan to come out of retirement and play the British Open has been called out as a sinister ploy to make the R&A (Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) feel 'uncomfortable'.

The Aussie legend shocked the golf world on Saturday when he announced his intentions to play The Open championship in its 150th anniversary.

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“It’s the 150th. I’m a past Open Champion. I love St Andrews," he told News Corp.

"If there’s a moment in time that I would consider going back and teeing off one last time, maybe this is it.

“I’m filling out my entry form now, I think I’m going. I think I can still get in.”

However the 67-year-old doesn't meet the criteria for automatic entry, with past champions needing to be under 60 to be granted a spot in golf's oldest major.

A spokesperson for Norman also told the UK Telegraph that he isn't planning to go through qualifying in order to earn his spot, and a "special exemption" remains highly unlikely.

Which begs the obvious question: How does Norman think he's going to be able to play?

According to British journalist James Corrigan, Norman has "no intention" of playing at St Andrews and is simply trying to put the R&A in an uncomfortable spot for siding with the PGA Tour instead of his Saudi-backed breakaway league.

Norman is leading the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series, a rebel league trying to poach players from the PGA Tour with a reported $3 billion war chest.

Last week Norman called the R&A “vindictive” after it cancelled the exemption it traditionally gives to the winner of the Asian Tour’s order of merit.

The LIV had earlier announced it was investing $300 million in the Asian Tour, with Norman and the Saudis previously believing the R&A was neutral.

Writing in the Telegraph, Corrigan quoted an 'insider' who said Norman "is being mischievous and attempting to make the R&A feel uncomfortable, because they have obviously sided with the PGA and European Tours in this fight when they first indicated they would remain impartial.”

Greg Norman's contradictory comments

As the spearhead of the breakaway tour funded by Saudi Arabia, Norman has been accused of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses but strongly refutes the claims.

"We are here to play golf, serve fans, grow the game, and give additional opportunities to players," he said previously.

Norman's announcement on Saturday also flies in the face of previous comments he made about playing at The Open when he did meet the criteria for past champions.

Writing in the book 'Aussies At The Open: Australia's tales and triumphs from 150 years of The Open Championship', Norman said: "I've people asking me, 'Why won't I go play St Andrews this year?'

"It's one of my favourite golf courses in the world and I look at my schedule and go, 'That would be a pretty cool thing to do'.

"Am I really going to go there and play? No. I just don't want to get on the first tee and be that ceremonial golfer. I just don't want to do that. It's just not in my DNA.

"So I just quietly say no to everybody."

with agencies

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