Greg Norman Biography

Greg Norman acquired the nickname “Great White Shark” largely because of his passion for fishing and his fondness of the water during his youth in his native Australia. Long before the 1981 Masters Tournament, however, where a newspaper editor pinned him with the label, he exhibited all the characteristics of the deep-sea creature he is now associated with.

As a teenager, like today, Norman never did anything half way. He was a regular on the cricket, rugby and Australian Rules football fields of Queensland and was regarded as an outstanding athlete. He was born Feb. 10, 1955 to Mervyn and Toini Norman. Merv was an engineer and Toini a homemaker and an accomplished golfer.

The young Norman regarded golf as a “quaint pastime,” but never allowed it to occupy his time. The adventurous Aussie would spend his time instead swimming, fishing and playing contact sports with friends.

He decided to give golf a try as a 15-year-old and did so aggressively and with the intent to succeed. His career started with an unusual offer to his mother that he caddie for her during a regular mid-week game. Following the round, he asked if he could borrow her clubs and set out on his own.

What his mother could not have imagined was that her young son, who had only taken a passing interest in the game previously, would one day become one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game.

Just 18 months removed from that first day at Virginia Golf Club in Brisbane, Australia, Norman was a scratch player. For the next few years, he spent time working as an Australian PGA trainee, playing amateur and open tournaments throughout Australia before turning professional in 1976 – just six years after that first caddying experience.

From the days in 1975 when he made $38 a week working as a trainee in the Royal Queensland golf shop, has arisen a player who has earned three Arnold Palmer Awards as the PGA Tour’s leading money winner in 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, the first coming at Turnberry in Scotland where he shot a tournament-record-tying 63 en route to a five-shot victory, and the second at Royal St. George’s where he trailed by one stroke entering the final day, and closed with 64 to defeat Nick Faldo by two.

In total, Norman has won 91 professional events around the world, including 20 U.S. PGA Tour titles. He has 29 top-10 finishes in majors (Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship), or more than 37 percent of those he has entered. He also held the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for 331 weeks.

The culmination of an astounding golfing career came Nov. 11, 2001, when Norman was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. For his countless accomplishments, Norman garnered the highest percentage of votes of anyone that has been inducted into golf's most exclusive fraternity.

While his well-documented success on the golf course has assured a lofty place in history, he continues to work at both his game and a business that promises to succeed long after his playing days are behind him.

He serves as Chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises, a multinational corporation with business ranging from golf course design, community development, apparel, wine, event management, licensing and merchandising.

Under Greg Norman Golf Course Design, the Shark has garnered the reputation as one of the premier golf course designers in the world through his hands-on approach, which has earned several of his layouts high praise. Golf Digest named Doonbeg Best New International Golf Course and Shark's Tooth Second Best Private New Golf Course in the United States; Golf Australia named Brookwater the No. 1 Public Access Golf Course in Australia; and The Vintage was named the Best New Course in Australia. Shark's Tooth was also awarded Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary certification and was the first private 18-hole golf course in Florida to receive such recognition.

The company currently has 52 courses open for play with an additional 40 projects in various stages of development throughout the world. Three Norman designs regularly draw acclaim from the world's top players: TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., home of the PGA Tour's BellSouth Classic; Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., host site of the PGA Tour-sanctioned Merrill Lynch Shootout; and The Grand Golf Club in Queensland, Australia, site of the 2001 Australian Open.

Surrounding several of these Norman-designed golf courses are master planned communities or homes developed by Medallist Developments. Through the development of golf course driven real estate communities, this company further represents Norman’s creativity and diversity. A portfolio of award-winning communities positions Medallist as a leader in a new generation of golf course projects throughout the world. Medallist has eight projects under development and returns a built-out value of more than $1 billion. Financial strength, long-term commitment, creative environmental preservation and land planning ensures the delivery of quality community living in Medallist developments throughout the world.

Another product bearing The Shark’s signature surfaces on Norman-designed golf courses and at Medallist communities, grass from the Greg Norman Turf Company. It was the field of choice for two Super Bowls, a World Series and the Olympic Games.

Also included in the diverse corporate portfolio is Greg Norman Collection, a leading worldwide marketer and distributor of men's sportswear, golf apparel and accessories. Established in 1992, Greg Norman Collection is inspired by Norman and reflects his adventurous spirit and confident, independent style. The Collection began with a golf-inspired knitwear line and has since become a complete lifestyle collection, identified with the four-color shark logo.

Greg Norman Estates wine is a manifestation of Norman’s position as a lifestyle icon. In its very first year, Greg Norman Estates far exceeded expectations. Wine Spectator awarded top ratings to all of the Greg Norman Estates wines it reviewed, including three 90-plus point ratings. That same widely respected industry publication named the 1999 Reserve Shiraz the eighth best wine in the world in 2004. Greg Norman Estates has grown to be the leading Australian wine, accounting for three out of every five bottles sold in the premium category.

Great White Shark Enterprises also counts among its core competencies an award-winning Internet site, Shark.com that is both rich in content and e-commerce enabled.

And while Norman gained his fame by playing in golf tournaments, he is also well versed in managing them. He is host of the Merrill Lynch Shootout, which was founded in 1989 for the benefit of children’s charities. The Shootout has raised nearly $10 million for charity including CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation, of which the Normans are patrons. The Greg Norman Production Company is devoted to event management and sports marketing and operates numerous events throughout the year.

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