Gregory John Norman AO was born on 10 February 1955 and is an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s.
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75 Facts About Greg Norman
2.
Greg Norman won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors: The Open Championship in 1986 and 1993.
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3.
Greg Norman earned thirty top-10 finishes and was the runner-up eight times in majors throughout his career.
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4.
Greg Norman 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.
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5.
Greg Norman has donated to and established numerous charities and charity events, like the QBE Shootout which benefits the CureSearch for Children's Cancer fund.
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7.
Greg Norman was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia to Mervin and Toini Greg Norman.
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8.
Greg Norman's mother was the daughter of a Finnish carpenter, and his father an electrical engineer.
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9.
In 1975, at the age of 20, Greg Norman served as assistant professional under Billy McWilliam OAM at Beverley Park Golf Club in Sydney, New South Wales.
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10.
Shortly thereafter, in the same year, Greg Norman started work as Charlie Earp's trainee in the Royal Queensland Golf Club pro shop, earning A$38 a week.
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11.
Greg Norman joined the European Tour in 1977, and had his first victory in a European event that same season, the Martini International, at the Blairgowrie Club in Scotland.
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12.
In 1980, Greg Norman earned a sizable victory in the French Open, winning the tournament by ten shots.
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13.
Greg Norman won the Scandinavian Enterprise Open in Sweden with a course record of 64 in the final round.
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14.
Greg Norman won his first Australian Open that year, his first of five wins in that event.
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15.
In 1981, Greg Norman finished in 4th place on his debut at the Masters in Augusta, finishing just three strokes behind the winner Tom Watson.
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16.
Greg Norman had a victory in the 1981 British Masters and he won his third Martini International tournament that year as well.
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17.
Greg Norman won three European events that year, including successfully defending his British Masters title.
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18.
In June 1984, Greg Norman won his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Kemper Open, winning by five strokes.
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19.
Greg Norman gained worldwide prominence a week later at the 1984 U S Open.
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20.
Greg Norman holed a dramatic 45-foot putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with former Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller.
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23.
Greg Norman held the lead for all four majors through 54 holes.
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24.
However, the only major victory Greg Norman earned that year was in the 1986 Open Championship at Turnberry.
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25.
At the 1986 Masters, Greg Norman began the final round with a one-stroke lead which he maintained until he double-bogeyed the 10th.
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26.
Greg Norman missed a par putt on the 18th that would have sent the two into a sudden-death playoff.
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27.
However, Greg Norman faltered on the final day, finishing with a final round 75 placing him six strokes behind the winner, Raymond Floyd.
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28.
Greg Norman finally broke through at the 1986 Open Championship for his first major title.
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29.
Greg Norman shot a second round of 63 on Friday at Turnberry, tying the record for the lowest ever round at the Open.
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30.
Greg Norman was in the lead on the final day, but shot a final-round 76 to finish 2 strokes behind the eventual winner, Bob Tway.
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31.
Greg Norman topped the U S PGA Tour money list for the first time that year.
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33.
Greg Norman ended 1986 with eleven worldwide victories and was officially ranked number 1 in the brand new Official World Golf Rankings.
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34.
Greg Norman did win the Australian Masters in February 1987 and the Australian Open later in the year by a record ten shots at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, beating the previous Australian Open record winning margin of eight strokes by Jack Nicklaus in 1971.
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35.
The teenage boy was only supposed to watch the golfer for two rounds, but Greg Norman arranged for him to stay until the tournament's completion.
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36.
Greg Norman was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in that year.
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37.
At the 1989 Masters, Greg Norman missed a 12-foot par putt on the 72nd hole, which would have put him into a playoff with Nick Faldo and Scott Hoch.
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38.
Greg Norman had another chance at a major in 1989, this time at the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
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39.
Greg Norman played a final round of 64, starting his round with six straight birdies, forcing his way into a playoff with Mark Calcavecchia and Wayne Grady.
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40.
Greg Norman won the Doral-Ryder Open and Memorial Tournament in 1990.
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41.
Greg Norman missed the cut for the first time at Augusta National in the 1990 Masters.
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42.
Greg Norman finished the tournament tied for sixth place, while Faldo won by five shots.
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43.
Greg Norman ultimately held the No 1 ranking for 331 weeks in his career.
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44.
Greg Norman topped the money list for the third time and was named PGA Player of the Year.
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45.
Greg Norman took a six-stroke lead into the final round and lost the tournament to Nick Faldo by five strokes, shooting a Sunday 78 to Faldo's 67.
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46.
In January 1997, Greg Norman won his largest winner's check to date, one million dollars, when he won the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf.
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47.
Greg Norman then won two tournaments in 1997, but they were his final victories on the PGA Tour.
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48.
In 1998, Greg Norman missed part of the season after suffering hip and shoulder injuries.
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49.
Greg Norman contended in the 1999 Masters tournament, tying for the lead with five holes remaining before finishing third, three strokes behind, and again in the 1999 Open Championship, eventually finishing 6th, three strokes behind.
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50.
In July 2008, despite not playing in a major for three years, Greg Norman finished nine over par in a tie for third at The Open Championship after being the 54-hole leader by two strokes.
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51.
Greg Norman turned 50 in February 2005, but has kept his distance from the senior golf circuit.
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52.
Greg Norman believes his back injuries could have been averted had he been introduced to the concept of golf fitness early in his career.
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53.
In 1986, Greg Norman was awarded the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award, a feat he replicated in 1993 to join Muhammad Ali as a multiple winner of the award .
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54.
In 2007, Greg Norman was elevated to "Legend" status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
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56.
Greg Norman is a member of The Environmental Institute for Golf's board of trustees and chairs The institute's advisory council.
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57.
Greg Norman was the recipient of the Golf Writers Association of America's 2008 Charlie Bartlett Award.
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58.
In 2009 Greg Norman was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.
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59.
In 2009, as part of the Q150 celebrations, Greg Norman was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for his role as a "sports legend".
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60.
Greg Norman received the Australian Global Icon Award and the National Golf Course Owner's Association Award of Merit both in 2015.
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61.
Greg Norman is widely regarded as one of the best drivers of the golf ball in his era.
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62.
Greg Norman initially used the Reebok-licensed shark logo for his line of apparel; it now represents over a dozen different businesses.
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63.
Greg Norman Collection began in 1992 after Reebok gave Norman his own line of clothing.
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64.
Greg Norman Estates is a wine company that produces 14 different varietals from Australia, California, and Argentina.
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65.
The Greg Norman Design Group is a separate wing of the real estate division that deals in interior design.
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66.
Greg Norman launched a connected golf cart in 2017 with partners Verizon, GPSi and Club Car.
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67.
Greg Norman Australian Prime is a branded line of premium Wagyu steaks and other beef products.
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68.
For instance, Greg Norman invested in and became the ambassador for Vancouver-based GPS Industries in 2004.
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69.
Greg Norman is a leading investment partner in Alchemy Global, a firm that seeks investors for sports startups.
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71.
Greg Norman became a Trustee of the Institute and a member of its advisory council in 2004.
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72.
On 23 April 2014, Fox Sports announced that Greg Norman would join Joe Buck as its lead commentary team for its coverage of the USGA's championships beginning in 2015.
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73.
Greg Norman released his autobiography, titled The Way of the Shark, in 2006.
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74.
Greg Norman had a brief romance with British tennis player Sue Barker before he met Laura Andrassy, an American flight attendant.
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75.
Greg Norman married former World No 1 tennis player Chris Evert on Paradise Island in the Bahamas in June 2008, but they separated after only 15 months and were subsequently divorced.
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