Greg Norman has lashed out at the R&A after he was banned from attending the Champions' Dinner ahead of The Open Championship in July.
The LIV Golf CEO has cut a divisive figure this year after the aggressive manner in which he's helped establish the Saudi-backed tour. And after initially struggling to secure big name signings, the extortionate money on offer has since persuaded the likes of world No 3 Cameron Smith to defect.
LIV Golf has also severely disrupted the 2023 Ryder Cup, with Henrik Stenson stripped of the European captaincy over his own move to the breakaway tour. As it stands, a host of key players on both teams are set to miss out on selection after aligning themselves with the rebel series.
The hostility towards LIV Golf from the status quo has been evident, and in the summer Norman was banned from the unique meeting of former champions at St Andrews.
And speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Monday night, 'The Great White Shark' took aim at Open bosses over their behaviour: "What happened with the R&A was a petty, cheap, childish shot to be honest with you," he said.
"If you can't rise above it all, shame on you. Because if you're under pressure, because other people are exerting pressure on you, then shame on you. For you [R&A) not to sit down and have a discussion about what the LIV Golf model is, and to see how sits within the eco-system, then again, shame on you."
Mirror Sport has contacted the R&A for comment following Norman's appearance.
Norman, who also hit back at Rory McIlroy for his vociferous criticism of LIV Golf, has been defiant throughout the sport's civil war, but did admit to Morgan that the saga had taken its toll on him: "To be honest with you, at times, my heat shield gets a little weak," he said, when asked how he was dealing with the 'vitriol'.
"I am a human being. I've done a lot for the game of golf. I was the No 1 player in the world for six years, I've done things for the game, I've promoted the game, I've grown it. So when they do these things......"
Norman has thus far overseen five LIV events, with his venture taking to the Far East from October 7-9 with a tournament in Bangkok. There will then be further events in Jeddah and Miami in 2022, before an expanded schedule next year.
