‘LIV players trying to say hi to Rory’: Golf glamor girl Paige Spiranac hilariously compares rebel golfers to Salt Bae chasing after Lionel Messi at the World Cup after it emerged stars on breakaway tour CAN play at the Masters in 2023
Paige Spiranac gave a hilarious response on social media on Tuesday to news LIV golfers will be allowed to compete in the Masters at Augusta next year.
The golf glamour girl shared the intensely cringeworthy footage of celebrity chef ‘Salt Bae’ chasing after Lionel Messi for a picture in the aftermath of Sunday’s World Cup final, and captioned it: ‘LIV players trying to say hi to Rory (McIlroy) at the Masters‘.
McIlroy has been a consistently fierce critic of the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV Golf tour and has even spoken ‘hating’ seeing LIV players teeing up at previous events outside of the PGA Tour.
But it emerged on Tuesday that McIlroy will come shoulder-to-shoulder with the players who have cashed in on Saudi Arabia’s money once more after Augusta chairman Fred Ridley revealed there will not be a ban on LIV players, like on the PGA Tour.
Golf glamor girl Paige Spiranac hilariously compared Salt Bae chasing after Lionel Messi (left) to LIV golfers seeing Rory McIlroy at next year’s Masters
McIlroy has been one of the most consistent and strongest critics of the Saudi-backed LIV
‘We will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament,’ Ridley said.
‘We have reached a seminal point in the history of our sport. At Augusta National, we have faith that golf, which has overcome many challenges through the years, will endure again.’
It means around 15 players currently competing on the LIV Golf circuit will be part of the field at Augusta National.
Previous Masters champions Mickelson, Johnson, Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia of Spain, and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa are included in that group.
Cameron Smith of Australia will receive an invitation after winning the 2022 Open Championship, while DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka are allowed to head to Augusta by virtue of winning the U.S. Open in the past five years.
Speaking back in August about LIV and the fact LIV players were allowed to compete at the DP World Tour event at Wentworth, England McIlroy said: ‘I hate it, I really do.
‘I hate what it is doing to the game of golf. It is going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks’ time and seeing 18 of them there. That just does not sit right with me.’
Organizers of The Masters at Augusta announced on Tuesday that LIV players can compete
‘Salt Bae’ has meanwhile been mocked for his awkward and cringeworthy antics in the aftermath of Argentina beating France in the World Cup final on Sunday
The embarrassing ‘Salt Bae’, meanwhile, has been rightly mocked throughout social media and beyond for unashamedly forcing his way into a number of pictures the Argentina players were having with the World Cup trophy.
The 39-year-old was either too ignorant to acknowledge that he wasn’t wanted in the pictures or too selfish to care as he pretended to sprinkle flavorings onto the World Cup trophy.
It has since been reported that ‘Salt Bae’ broke FIFA rules by getting onto the pitch in the celebrations, as Argentina beat France on penalties after a 3-3 tie following extra time in the most dramatic World Cup final ever.
In the footage Spiranac tweeted on Tuesday, Messi is clearly unimpressed by Salt Bae’s attempts to have his moment with the star as he tried to celebrate his historic victory with his teammates.
The Masters at Augusta, widely considered to be the best tournament in golf, runs from April 6-9.