Greg Norman “Ecstatic” When Cam Smith Party Crashed The 150th Open

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Jeff Smith
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Cameron Smith Wins The 150th Open Championship Old Course St Andrews
Cameron Smith walks on the 18th hole during Day 4 of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 17, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Harry How via Getty Images)

During the leadup to Sunday’s finale of The 150th Open, the media was storifying Rory McIlroy as the “savior of St Andrews” who would become “immortal” when he hoisted a second Claret Jug.

His victory was also going to be a big middle finger to the LIV Golf tour. The media won’t admit it, especially now that it failed spectacularly, but this is exactly what the entire week in Scotland was leading up to. It would be McIlroy’s Canadian Open victory smugness on steroids.

It’s why the R&A disinvited TWO-TIME OPEN winner Greg Norman (331 weeks at world No. 1, second all time) while awarding ONE-TIME Open winner McIlroy (105 weeks at No. 1) with an honorary membership.

It’s why the R&A treated 24-TIME TOUR WINNER Dustin Johnson (135 weeks at world No.1, third all time), “like garbage,” according to his brother and caddie, while 21-TIME TOUR WINNER McIlroy was celebrated as a conquering hero.

Greg Norman Wins The Open Championship
Greg Norman celebrates with the Claret Jug trophy alongside the Australian fans after winning the 122nd British Open at Royal St George’s on July 18, 1993 in Sandwich, England. (Photo by Keith Hailey for Popperfoto via Getty Images)

“It was going to be a Game of Thrones type victory celebration,” said one unnamed player who still has a semi allegiance to the tour.

On Sunday, the pre-planned coronation was actually playing out, with the anointed one, McIlroy, on the cusp of an historic victory for golf’s gatekeepers. But then a fearless Aussie named Cam Smith, mullet and all, took a page from his iconic compatriot, and attacked the back nine at the Old Course like a shark on fresh chum, fiercely yanking the Claret Jug right out of the Golden Boy’s hands.

Rory McIlroy The 2022 OPEN Championship
Rory McIlroy dejected after not reaching the green on his drive on the 18th green during day four of The Open at the Old Course, St Andrews on July 17, 2022. (Photo by Richard Sellers for PA Images via Getty Images)

I reached out to a source close to the Norman camp and asked about the LIV Golf CEO’s reaction.

“I’m told, he’s absolutely ecstatic with the results: a. that Cam won and b. how Cam won. Period. Unlike Rory after Canada, Greg took the high road. Look at his public statement: Rory is not mentioned at all (so don’t get cute!),” wrote the source via text.

The source added, “The golf gods came through, though.”

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Say what you want about Greg Norman. Love him, hate him, whatever. He took the high road all week. Listening to the disgruntled, stoic, Martin Slumbers discuss the Greg Norman situation was a tough watch. He looked uncomfortable, irritable and hypocritical. Whether he liked it or not, his comments about the history, tradition, legacy of the Open is incomplete without a 2 time Open winner being present. Greg should have absolutely been a part of the festivities and its history. He is its history! And as a side note, Dustin Johnson deserved much better treatment. Former longtime world number 1, two time major winner, treated with disrespect was a disgrace.
  2. The word got out that the PGA Tour had taken Saudi and Chinese money. Heck, they even ran PGA Tour China before COVID shut it down. In short, the PGA Tour lost their moral high ground.

    Even the Brandel Chamblee and the Golf Channel are under NBC, who proudly covered the Olympics in China while barely mentioning China’s human rights abuses

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