Arguably one of the most interesting people of all time, Greg Norman is one the greatest golfers Australia has ever produced. Norman spent 331 weeks as world number 1, winning 89 professional tournaments including 2 majors
PLAYER PROFILE: Greg "The Shark" Norman
Arguably one of the most interesting people of all time, Greg Norman is one the greatest golfers Australia has ever produced. Norman spent 331 weeks as world number 1, winning 89 professional tournaments including 2 majors (The Open Championship 86 & 93).
Whether it’s the new “Super Golf League” (LIV) for which he was named commissioner, his potential comeback at this year's Open Championship, or the new 30 for 30 documentary “Shark”, Norman is never far from the spotlight.
We take a look at Norman’s top 5 achievements on and off course.
#5
Norman's dominance over his peers (despite his comparative lack of success in the majors) was probably best expressed in the Official World Golf Rankings: Norman finished the year on top of the ranking list on seven occasions, in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996 and 1997, and was second at the end of 1988, 1993 and 1994. Norman won the PGA Tour of Australia's Order of Merit six times: 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1988. He won the European Tour's Order of Merit in 1982, and topped the PGA Tour's money list in 1986, 1990, and 1995. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour three times: 1989, 1990 and 1994; and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.
#4
Norman founded the Greg Norman Company (originally known as Great White Shark Enterprises) in 1993 after leaving his previous management group, IMG. The now multinational corporation is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida. He initially used the Reebok-licensed shark logo for his line of apparel; it now represents over a dozen different businesses including Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Greg Norman Collection, Greg Norman Estates and many more. The company reports hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually. In 2016, the company changed its branding to become the "Greg Norman Company.
#3
After a career slump in the early 1990s, Norman turned to renowned coach Butch Harmon for help. After a career slump in the early 1990s, Norman turned to renowned coach Butch Harmon for help. Together, the two rebuilt Norman's game by solving mechanical problems that had crept into his swing. As a result of this training, Norman earned his second major at Royal St George's in the 1993 Open Championship. There, in ideal conditions, Norman defeated a leaderboard consisting of Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Corey Pavin. Norman's final round 64 was the lowest score by a winner in Open history until Henrik Stenson's 63 at the 2016 Open Championship.
#2
In 1986, Norman's 11 worldwide victories that year included four wins in Australia and two regular PGA Tour events; the Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational and the Kemper Open (for the second time), but 1986 is remembered for the Norman Slam or the Saturday Slam. Norman held the lead for all four majors through 54 holes. This meant he played in the final group for every major and had perhaps the best chance in history of winning the single-season Grand Slam. However, the only major victory Norman earned that year was in the 1986 Open Championship at Turnberry, which was Norman’s first major win.
#1
Greg Norman Medal is awarded annually to best male or female professional Australian golfer on the world stage. The award was established in 2015 by the Professional Golfer's Association of Australia (PGA) with the support of the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG). In naming the award after Greg Norman, the PGA stated that "Not only was he number one for 331 weeks, a two time major winner and a winner 20 times on the PGA Tour, he also won 31 times on our own PGA Tour of Australasia and put Australian Golf on the world map. He has been a staunch supporter of the PGA of Australia and local golf for many years."
