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Editor's Letter: One Man, Multiple Personas - Australian Golf Digest Editor's Letter: One Man, Multiple Personas - Australian Golf Digest

There’s more than one way to view the life and times of Greg Norman

The first time I saw Greg Norman in the flesh was December 1993 at The Lakes Golf Club during the debut of his Greg Norman Holden International tournament. I remember being struck by how short he was – or seemed. OK, so he’s a robust six-foot in ‘old money’, but I guess he appeared short to a 17-year-old simply because I’d spent years viewing him as a giant of the fairways and expected him to be taller than me.

As the man known to all in golf as the Great White Shark reaches 70 this month, it feels like an opportune time to take stock (a favourite Norman phrase) of his life and career. A milestone birthday is just part of the timing, though, as LIV Golf’s fourth season begins this month and stands to be its most significant yet. You’ll read more about it, and Norman’s involvement in it, from page 58.

I’ve been following Norman’s career as a golfer since 1987 then professionally since 2000. I admit to being a fan to the point that I was inconsolable that fateful Monday morning in April 1996 when he coughed up his best chance to win the Masters. It was a similar feeling three years later when an unexpected opportunity at Augusta National also slipped from his grasp.

Even though there’s an old saying that implores, “Never meet your heroes/idols,” inevitably it had to happen. I have to say I’ve always found Norman to be candid providing you ask well-thought-out questions, and still patient when he was clearly not in the mood for dealing with members of the fourth estate. OK, so you often hear familiar recollections and lingual idiosyncrasies (he often frames his thoughts in question form and always says “the game of golf” not just “golf”), but remember he’s been in the public spotlight for nearly 50 years. There’s bound to be repetition.

He woke me one Sunday morning in October 2005 by phoning for an interview earlier than we’d scheduled by asking, “Were you still asleep?” What followed was a fascinating conversation, during which Norman was generous with both his time and his openness. If you’re one of our most loyal collectors, the Q&A appeared in the December 2005 issue.

In preparing for that interview, I reached out to John Barton, who at the time was an editorial liaison for the international affiliate editions of Golf Digest. John suggested adding a question that I think is perhaps more appropriate today than it was nearly 20 years ago: “Is it true that aggressive, reckless golfers – like yourself and Arnold Palmer – make for shrewd, conservative, patient businessmen; whereas shrewd, conservative, patient golfers – like Jack Nicklaus – make for aggressive, reckless businessmen?”

Norman chuckled before answering, yet part of his response reveals just how long key opportunities can percolate in his mind: “If I feel like I’ve got to make an aggressive move, I’m going to make an aggressive move. Like making an investment in a company because I like what I see – I’ve liked my due diligence, I’ve got the advice and support of my key people around me saying, ‘Yes, Greg, this is a smart thing to do.’ Then I go with it.

“It’s just like your caddie saying, ‘Pull that 3-wood out and hit it 248 yards over the water and let’s make a 3.’ It’s the same thing. You trust your instincts, you trust your due diligence. Am I the smartest businessman in the world? No, I’m not, but I surround myself with very good people, very smart people and I rely on their advice.”

There’s another side to Norman, though. There are people within the Australian golf industry who bristle at the mere mention of his name. Yet show me someone in business circles who doesn’t put a few noses out of joint. Among the more startling stories I’ve heard in the past 25 years was an employee from Norman’s course-design staff setting fire to his collection of Shark-branded polo shirts as a form of protest after the sudden closure of the Australian office.

He is the Pied Piper of golf in this country, but not everyone walks to the Norman beat. In our interview this issue, he reflects on some of the flack he’s taken, barbs that have amplified since he assumed his role with LIV Golf.

Norman isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and he appears to be at peace with that. What’s undeniable, however, is the impact he’s had on golf in Australia and around the world. In every way, he is one of a kind. 

Top 5 ways to blend golf and love THIS Feb. 14

5. Go on a date that includes time at a driving range or mini-golf facility.

4. Teach someone you love the basics of golf (or direct them to a good coach).

3. Stay at a top-tier golf resort – one where there’s ample things to do off the course [see page 48].

2. Play nine holes alongside your significant other in the dwindling daylight of a summer evening.

1. Enter your club’s mixed foursomes championship together… if you’re brave!

Photo: courtesy of liv golf