Paige Spiranac offered a cheeky response Tuesday to the news of LIV Golfers being allowed to participate in the 2023 Masters.
A short while after Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley confirmed that those competing in the Saudi-backed league can join their PGA Tour peers at the upcoming tournament, the golfer-turned-influencer took to Twitter, where she joked about the two groups interacting with a viral World Cup moment.
“LIV golfers trying to say hi to Rory at The Masters,” Spirarac wrote alongside a video of celebrity chef Salt Bae attempting to get Lionel Messi’s attention following Argentina’s World Cup win over France on Sunday.
Paige Spiranac took to Twitter on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, to react to the news that LIV Golf players can participate in the 2023 Masters.Instagram/Paige SpiranacIn the now-viral video, Salt Bae, a Turkish chef whose real name is Nusret Gokce, is seen continuously tapping Messi on the shoulder before the 35-year-old athlete eventually shakes his hand and wanders elsewhere.
Rory McIlroy, the world’s current No. 1, has long been critical of LIV Golf, its commissioner and CEO, Greg Norman, specifically. Last month, the four-time major champion remarked how Norman “needs to go” if there’s to be any hope of a resolution between the two leagues.
“He’s made his mark, but I think now is the right time to say, ‘you’ve got this thing off the ground, but no one’s going to talk unless there’s an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences,'” McIlroy told reporters at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Dustin Johnson, who currently plays on the LIV Golf tour, is eligible to compete at the 2023 Masters.Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Norman has suggested “the ball is in their court,” in regard to finding a way forward with the PGA Tour.
“We’ve tried. We’ve tried on numerous occasions, not just me personally but before I even came on board. We’ve had high-up people reach out to try and explain it to them,” Norman said of the PGA Tour to the Global Golf Post.
As for Spiranac, who boasts a massive social media following, she has previously weighed in on other happenings surrounding LIV Golf. Back in June, the “Playing A Round” podcast host expressed how she wished athletes would vocalize how much financial aspects may play a role in their decision-making.
Paige Spiranac has previously weighed in on LIV Golf happenings. 
Back in June 2022, Paige Spiranac expressed how she wished athletes would vocalize how much financial aspects may play a role in their decision-making. Advertisement
“These elaborate statements are annoying. No one going to the LIV tour actually cares about the progression of the game. I wish they just said ‘because it’s a shit ton of money,'” Spiranac tweeted at the time.
Several high-profile golfers defected from the PGA Tour in favor of its controversial rival earlier this year, including former Masters champions Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Dustin Johnson, who netted “around” $125 million to join LIV Golf.
