Greg Norman’s Life and Career
Greg Norman is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and the Australian has continued to be a presence in professional golf through his work with the LIV Golf circuit.
Here we take a look at Norman’s life and career.
Greg Norman: Amateur career
Born in Queensland in 1955, Norman toyed with rugby, cricket and surfing as sports he could potentially make a career, but by the time the youngster turned 17 years of age, it was clear that he had a huge proficiency for golf.
Norman competed in the Queensland Open at the age of 19, then turned professional in March, 1975, working in a pro shop earning just 38 dollars a week.
Greg Norman: Professional career
The 1976 South Coast Open was Norman’s first four-round professional tournament and he contended throughout, before being narrowly beaten. The West Lakes Classic that same year in the Adelaide area was his first victory.
Norman went on to win 33 times in his homeland. He triumphed 14 times on the European Tour, a further 18 times on the PGA Tour, twice on the Asian Tour and twice on the Japan Tour.
The highlights of his playing career came in the Open Championship. The Great White Shark, as he became known, twice lifted the Claret Jug. He won the Open by five shots in 1986 at Turnberry in Scotland, then by two strokes in 1993 at Sandwich in England.
Norman spent 331 weeks as world number one. He was runner-up in Majors eight times, famously squandering numerous opportunities to claim a Green Jacket in the Masters at Augusta.
He was left in tears at Augusta in 1996 when he let a six-shot final-round lead slip, carding a Sunday 78 which left him in second place, five shots behind Nick Faldo.
Norman was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. His last victory came in 1998, but a decade later he contended again in the Open Championship, threatening to pull off an incredible hat-trick of triumphs.
At the age of 53, Norman led the 2008 Open by two shots after three rounds, before carding eight Sunday bogeys in a 77 which meant a third-place finish.
Greg Norman: LIV Golf role
In 2021, long after his playing days had ended, Norman became the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, becoming a controversial figurehead as the breakaway circuit attracted players from the PGA Tour.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series started in 2022, with financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Dustin Johnson was one of the first players to be convinced by Norman to join LIV – a huge signing which encouraged others to follow suit.
Norman managed to lure the likes of Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith to LIV, then his most high-profile recruit of all came at the end of 2023 when Jon Rahm accepted Norman’s offer.
Norman has been a central figure in golf’s split. He relinquished his role as LIV CEO last month, replaced by Scott O’Neil. Norman is about to turn 70 years of age.
By Steve Palmer
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