Greg Norman

The Great White Shark who dominated golf and business.

Gregory John Norman (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors: The Open Championship in 1986 and 1993. Norman also earned thirty top-10 finishes and was the runner-up eight times in majors throughout his career. In a reference to his blond hair, size, aggressive golf style and his birthplace's native coastal animal, Norman's nickname is "the Great White Shark" (often shortened to just "the Shark"), which he earned after his play at the 1981 Masters.

Quick Facts

Full name: Gregory John Norman
Nickname: The (Great White) Shark
Born: 10 February 1955
Birthplace: Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
Height: 6 ft 0 in / 1.83 m
Weight: 180 lb / 81.6 kg
Children: 2
Residence: Florida, U.S.

Lore & Background

Norman's business interests began during his playing career. He is the chairman and CEO of the Greg Norman Company, a global corporation with a portfolio of companies in fields including apparel, interior design, real estate, wine production, private equity and golf course design. Between 2021 and 2025, he was the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, a start-up company financed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund; the LIV Golf Invitational Series of golf tournaments began in 2022. Norman has donated to and established numerous charities and charity events, like the QBE Shootout which benefits the CureSearch for Children's Cancer fund. He became a Trustee of the Environmental Institute for Golf in 2004 and received the Golf Writers Association of America's Bartlett Award in 2008 for his charitable work.

Reader's Guide

Norman was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia to Mervin and Toini Norman. His mother was the daughter of a Finnish carpenter, and his father an electrical engineer. As a youth, he played rugby and cricket and aspired to be a professional surfer. His mother Toini, who had a single-figure handicap, taught the 15-year-old Norman how to play golf and allowed him to caddy for her at the Virginia Golf Club in Brisbane.

Within about eighteen months, Norman went from a 27 handicap to a scratch handicap. In Townsville, Queensland, Norman attended Townsville Central State School (enrolled 1964) and then Townsville Grammar School then moved on to Aspley State High School on the north side of Brisbane. In June 1974, at the age of 19, Norman received media attention at the Queensland Open. The Canberra Times reported that "the young amateur Greg Norman" was one shot off the lead after the first round.

As of March 1975, Norman had turned professional. He served as assistant professional under Billy McWilliam OAM at Beverley Park Golf Club in Sydney, New South Wales. Shortly thereafter, in the same year, Norman started work as Charlie Earp's trainee in the Royal Queensland Golf Club pro shop, earning A$38 a week. Norman's first four-round professional tournament was the 1976 South Coast Open at Bateman's Bay.

In the first round, Norman shot a 68 (−3) to put him in a tie for fifth place, three back of David Good's lead. He followed it up with an even-par 71 to remain in the top ten. In the third round, he "jumped into the reckoning" with a two-under-par 69 which included five birdies on the back nine, one back of the lead. In the final round, he had a chance to win down the stretch but was "edged out" by Barry Burgess.

His second tournament was at the following week's Queensland Open. Norman was well back of the lead entering Sunday but shot a final round 70 (−3) to finish in a tie for third. The next week he recorded another top-15 finish at the New South Wales Open. His fourth tournament was the West Lakes Classic held at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, South Australia.

In the first round, Norman "upstaged his more experienced opponents" to shoot a "brilliant" 64 (−7) to take a three shot lead. In the second round, despite incurring three penalty strokes, Norman shot a four-under-par 67 to expand his lead to five shots.