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Can LIV crew deliver belated Augusta glory for Greg Norman?

The final pairing in 2023 are both now at LIV
The final pairing in 2023 are both now at LIV

One of the great quotes in golfing history was uttered in a bathroom at Augusta on Saturday night of the Masters in 1996.

Grizzled English journalist Peter Dobereiner, who has since died, bumped into his pal Greg Norman, then six clear of the field after three scintillating rounds and on the cusp of a long-awaited triumph.

"Don't worry Greg, old son. Not even you can f**k this up," Dobereiner said.

From a sports psychology perspective, we can no doubt pick holes in this exchange. It is probably not the sort of sentiment that Bob Rotella would be minded to impart to any of his clients ahead of a big round.

Watching all the Champions Dinner content that the Masters have put out in the last day or so, it's difficult not to think of what might have been.

Had Norman spent the second Tuesday of April every year, donning his green blazer and sitting down to enjoy a Michelin star effort alongside Nicklaus and Palmer and Player, would he have been quite so adamant about disrupting the entire sport with the help of Saudi money?

Of course, the counterpoint to this alternative history goes by the name of Phil Mickelson.

The famous dinner is one of the many trimmings and touches that gives the Masters its personality and unique feel - alongside the butler cabin, the glossary of terms, the wealthy geezers walking around in the green coats, and the trees named after deceased former presidents.

Nick Faldo's not exactly gourmet offering carries echoes from Irish football history. 'Sir Nick' served up something resembling 'Harry's Challenge' to the esteemed former champions.

"I flew in the fillets from Harry Ramsden's," Faldo told TalkSport. "With these big chips as well.

"And mushy peas," he added.

While Ramsden's may have shipped a fair portion (pun intended) of the blame for Ireland's failure to qualify for Euro 96, Faldo insisted it was a roaring hit at the Champions dinner.

In serving fish and chips, the three-time winner (he didn't specify if this was 1990, 1991 or 1997 or in fact all three) was also fulfilling the remit of providing a meal "inspired by the culture of the reigning champ."

One of Norman's most shocking and high profile recruits was responsible for the menu on Tuesday, Jon Rahm producing what Golf Digest described as a "Basque influenced meal" which includes a choice of steak (an old reliable according to veterans) or turbot.

Rahm returns to defend his title having rocked the golf world by his decision to defect to the LIV tour last December, after previously painting himself as an arch-traditionalist.

When the first wave of players defected to the good ship Norman, Rahm insisted he was playing for greatness rather than money. As regards LIV's 54-hole format and its other much-trumpeted innovations, Rahm's response was distinctly 'pfft, not for me'.

The golf rumour mill is alive with speculation that Rahm is currently afflicted with a particularly acute case of buyer's remorse. That he had anticipated that a deal and eventual merger was in the post and that his timely defection would thus prove a win-win.

In a wide-ranging interview with Greg Allen on Saturday Sport less than a fortnight ago, Paul McGinley said a deal could be years away. Meanwhile, the game is suffering, the PGA Tour haemorrhaging TV audiences to the tune of 20% in 2024.

The LIV Tour, coasting on Saudi largesse and tucked away some impossibly remote channel, doesn't have any audience to haemorrhage.

This is naturally derided as desperate propaganda from the golf establishment by the LIV fan pages and Rahm himself says he's "at peace" with his decision, while always being at pains to say he understands the sceptics.

The Spaniard is already trying to change LIV from within, including its central points of difference. This week, he recommended they go back to 72 holes, a reform which would necessitate a name change for a start (LIV being 54 in Roman numerals).

Rahm is in his new environment

Given that 'playing less golf' for much more money was the chief perk for many of the defectors - DJ was rather blunt on this point in Season 1 of Full Swing and couldn't fathom why all his peers weren't of the same mind - we can't imagine this would go down well at the after-party.

Brooks Koepka gives the impression that if they reduced LIV competitions to nine holes, that would be ideal. The reigning PGA Champion has finished 28th and tied-45th in the last two LIV events, which isn't great when one considers the depth of field in these events.

Twelve months ago, when Rahm squared off against Brooks on the final day, the honour of the PGA Tour was at stake. From his remote lair, Norman spoke of the LIV crew at Augusta National invading the green if Koepka got the job done, like Ben Crenshaw and co at Brookline.

In the end, Brooksy flopped on the Sunday - 'choked' according to the man himself - and Rahm cantered home with a conspicuous lack of drama by Masters standards.

Though Koepka would become the first LIV major winner at Oak Hill in the PGA Championship the following month, where he claimed his fifth, surpassing McIlroy.

Some conspiratorially minded types have it that the organisers are seeking to try Koepka's patience - the Floridian being famously intolerant of slow play - by pairing him with Open Champion Brian Harman, who now waggles the club at least 15 times before striking.

Of LIV's 13-strong contingent, Rahm is obviously the leading light. The Spaniard has five top-10 finishes on the rebel tour and sits second in the individual standings, as does his beloved Legion XIII in the team event, you'll be pleased to know. But surprisingly perhaps, no wins yet.

The in-form player over on the other side is Joaquin Niemann, who has won two of the five this year. Dustin Johnson, another who sampled Rahm's steak on Tuesday, won his third LIV event at Las Vegas in February, though hasn't contended at the last three.

The other two were won by Abraham Ancer and Dean Burmester, neither of whom are in Augusta this week.

That other Spaniard, supposedly of the washed up variety, could yet have a say. Sergio Garcia has placed second in the two of the five LIV attempts and has tasted victory at the Masters.

If there is to be a LIV invasion of the green at the 72nd hole on Sunday, it may well be Norman himself leading the charge this time.

Norman at Augusta on Wednesday

Warned off coming last year, the Shark is walking with the galleries as the Washington Post reported, one of the paying 'patrons'.

As ever, in canvassing mode, Norman told the paper the response on the doorstep/walkways was overwhelmingly positive.

"Walking around here today, there's not one person who said to me, 'Why did you do LIV?’ There’s been hundreds of people, even security guys, stopping me, saying, ‘Hey, what you’re doing is fantastic.’

"To me, that tells you that what we have and the platform fits within the ecosystem, and it’s good for the game of golf.

"I'm here because we have 13 players that won 10 Masters between them, so I'm here just to support them, do the best I can to show them, 'Hey, you know, the boss is here rooting for you,'" Norman said.

If one of his recruits could slips on the jacket, it would be a strange kind of glory for Norman, around a track on which he received so much pain.

Follow our live Masters updates from first-tee Thursday to final-green Sunday on RTE.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app

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