Two-time Open Champion Greg Norman speaks to Evin Priest
about his business empire, the fiercest competitors he ever faced
and what he misses about playing full-time
SHARK'S
TA L E
Photography Getty Images
reg Norman is remembered for his
defeats as much as his heroic
victories. The Australian icon still
receives as much coverage for his
1996 Masters collapse as he does
his two victories at The Open
Championship 1986 and 1993.
The Great White Shark won a lot,
and he lost a lot. But he never
apologised. And he never gave up.
From the outside, it is apparent
that his collapses at the Majors
have driven his motivation to build
an enormously successful business
empire. It is difficult to know
whether the Florida-based Norman
would have been as prolific in the
business world had he won, say,
the 1986 Masters. You rememberthat Masters. Norman had birdied
17 on Sunday to tie the lead. He
needed another on 18 to win – or a
par to enter a play-off with a guy
called Jack Nicklaus. But instead of
hitting 5-iron into the 18th green
like he had done all week, he
decided to ‘smooth’ a 4-iron and
pushed it. He failed to save par and
never really recovered at Augusta.
Norman would lose another
Masters a year later when Augusta
local Larry Mize chipped in for
birdie on No.11 during a sudden-
death play-off to eventually win the
Green Jacket. And we all know
about 1996. Norman led the
Masters by six strokes over Nick
Faldo after 54 holes, only for Faldo
to end up winning by five.
Famously, on the 18th, Faldo put
his arm around the Shark and
whispered, “Don’t let the bastards
get you down.” Norman didn’t.GREG NORMAN