02/23/2022
Gregory John Norman is known as much for his entrepreneurial spirit in the boardroom as his dominance on the golf course. He was born on February 10, 1955 in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. He played rugby and Aussie Rules football while growing up but became hooked on golf at age 15 after serving as a caddie for his mother. His first golf instruction came through Jack Nicklaus’ book, Golf My Way, and after a mere 18 months, Norman played to a scratch handicap. At the age of 20, Norman continued to concentrate on his golf game while working as a trainee in the Royal Queensland Golf Club. In 1976 at the age of 21, he turned pro and won his first professional event, the West Lakes Classic, the same year. He served as Captain of the ‘International Team’ at the ‘Presidents Cup’ twice in 2009 and 2011.
His vigorous golfing style, physical built, blond hair added with the local coastal animal of his birthplace, the shark, earned him the nickname, ‘The Great White Shark’. Greg Norman now transcends the game of golf, with over a dozen companies around the world bearing his name and the iconic shark logo as part of the Greg Norman Company, which he leads as Chairman & CEO.
Greg Norman earned more than $1 million five times on the PGA TOUR, including three Arnold Palmer Awards as the Tour's leading money winner – 1986, '89 and '94. He was also the first person in Tour history to surpass $10 million in career earnings. But his crowning achievements are British Open Championships in 1986 and 1993.
Throughout his life, Norman’s philanthropic efforts have quietly raised millions of dollars for charities, including CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, which for over two decades has been the primary benefactor of Norman’s PGA TOUR sanctioned event, the QBE Shootout.
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