“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.

Norman’s bitterness toward Augusta isn’t new. But what’s new is his saying he won’t tune in to the Masters. Norman wasn’t invited in 2023 because Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley explained that it was to limit controversy at the height of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf war. Norman dubbed it “petty” at that time, but said he would still watch the Masters. Ridley has also repeatedly clarified that the decision was tied to keeping the focus on the competition itself rather than signaling any form of permanent exclusion from Augusta National. A year later, he did more than just tune in to the Masters.

He entered through the gates of Augusta National despite not being invited. He was the CEO of LIV Golf. 13 LIV pros were there at the Masters. Norman emphatically said he was there to cheer for his players. That he was following Rory McIlroy and watching him practice in the driving range was a different matter, but Shark’s appearance, in itself, was enough to grab attention.

His stunt was successful as it created a buzz around him. Norman also said he spoke to many people, and none complained about LIV Golf. That probably didn’t include Fred Ridley as the ANGC’s chairman’s stance around Shark didn’t change, proven by the fact of an invite that never came. Greg Norman says he has moved on from it. Augusta officials have also noted that Norman has only attended the Masters twice in the last decade, once in a working media role, a detail that has quietly shaped the club’s position as his association with LIV Golf grew more central.

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“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.”

Nevertheless, 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. Even so, Augusta chairman Fred Ridley has left open the possibility of a future return, saying he would “never say never” when asked whether Norman could be welcomed back in the coming years.

The timing of this incident adds another layer to the story. Norman’s iconic setback from the 1996 Masters is turning 30 this year. That anniversary has resurfaced one of Augusta’s most enduring storylines, the six-shot lead Norman carried into Sunday before Nick Faldo produced a closing charge that remains one of the tournament’s most dramatic reversals.

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. Three decades later, Faldo arrived at Augusta again marking that comeback with commemorative “Six back in ’96” hats and shirts shared among friends and colleagues, a reminder of how firmly the moment still lives in Masters history.

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. Despite the anniversary attention around that finish, Faldo also admitted he never reached out to Norman about the moment, suggesting the weight of that Sunday still speaks for itself even decades later.

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 one who was chasing, 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, the same tournament still casts a long shadow over Greg Norman.

That complicated history with Augusta has extended beyond the Masters as well, with Norman also missing the 150th Open Championship celebration at St Andrews during his time leading LIV Golf, another reminder of how his role in the breakaway league reshaped his presence around the sport’s traditional stages.