Former US President Bill Clinton Once Weighed In on Why Greg Norman Faced So Much Resentment: "Never Embraced in a Way..."
via Imago
via Imago
Two-time major champion Greg Norman, known as “Great White Shark,” faced resentment before his association with the Saudi golf circuit in late 2021.
In a 2013 interview for the Australian TV program Australian Story, former U.S. President Bill Clinton revealed why his friend faced resentment despite such a decorated career.
“I always liked him [Norman], and I thought that a lot of the resentment against him, and there was a fair amount, was because of his success and because he made it look easy," Clinton remarked.
Bill Clinton and Greg Norman's friendship began in 1994, when Norman, who identified as a Republican, declined an invitation to play golf with the president in Australia. However, he later accepted after George H. W. Bush urged him to do so.
Expanding on his remarks, Clinton added that Norman was “never embraced in the way that some great golfers are.”
Golf: LIV Golf Chicago - Final Round Sep 24, 2023 Sugar Grove, Illinois, USA Greg Norman watches the action on the 11th green during the final round of the LIV Golf Chicago golf tournament at Rich Harvest Farms. Sugar Grove Rich Harvest Farms Illinois USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJamiexSabaux 20230924_lbm_qt0_035
Golf: LIV Golf Chicago - Final Round Sep 24, 2023 Sugar Grove, Illinois, USA Greg Norman watches the action on the 11th green during the final round of the LIV Golf Chicago golf tournament at Rich Harvest Farms. Sugar Grove Rich Harvest Farms Illinois USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJamiexSabaux 20230924_lbm_qt0_035
Norman turned professional in 1976 and built his career through the 1980s and 1990s, winning two major championships at The Open in 1986 and 1993.
Norman spent 331 weeks as world No. 1, the second-longest stretch on record behind Tiger Woods, and during his career, he recorded 20 PGA Tour victories.
In 1994, Greg Norman proposed a privately funded World Golf Tour made up of eight events for the game’s leading players. However, the plan was opposed by PGA Tour leadership, which warned players of possible suspensions and penalties if they took part.
As a result, the proposal collapsed, and the episode became a source of long-running resentment between Norman and the PGA Tour.
Greg Norman’s 1986 Season
Greg Norman’s 1986 season was marked by 11 tournament wins and a few near misses. He recorded his first major win at The Open Championship at Turnberry, finishing five strokes ahead of the runner-up, Gordon J. Brand.
Norman held the lead after 54 holes in all four major championships that year, and won The Open, a run referred to in media coverage as the “Saturday Slam.”
Norman finished first on the PGA Tour money list and became the first golfer to earn more than $1 million in a single season in prize money.
Greg Norman also reached No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a position he would hold for a cumulative 331 weeks in his career.
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi