Visits to Augusta for practice rounds by LIV players, including former Masters champions, have helped thaw any perceived ice but 2018 winner Patrick Reed couldn’t dismiss the notion a win would be a major boost for the new tour.
There will be 18 LIV players, currently in Orlando for the third event of Greg Norman’s breakaway tour’s second season, who will head to Augusta next week for the year’s first major amid expectations of a frosty reception.
The Masters, as with the British Open, have kept the door open to their events for LIV players keen for the elite, which includes Australian Cameron Smith, are there o ensure there’s no asterisk against the winner’s name as the golf world tries to find a new equilibrium.
Even that announcement from Augusta chairman Fred Ridley painted a picture of concern with the current landscape and the players involved.
“Regrettably recent…
