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Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors: The Open Championship in 1986 and 1993. Norman also earned thirty top-10 finishes and was the runner-up eight times in majors throughout his career. In a reference to his blond hair, size, aggressive golf style and his birthplace's native coastal animal, Norman's nickname is "the Great White Shark" (often shortened to just "the Shark"), which he earned after his play at the 1981 Masters. Norman's business interests began during his playing career. He 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. In 2021, he was named CEO of LIV Golf Investments, a start-up company financed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund; the LIV Golf Invitational Series of golf tournaments began in 2022. Norman has donated to and established numerous charities and charity events, like the QBE Shootout which benefits the CureSearch for Children's Cancer fund. He became a Trustee of the Environmental Institute for Golf in 2004 and received the Golf Writers Association of America's Bartlett Award in 2008 for his charitable work. Early life Norman was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia to Mervin and Toini Norman. His mother was the daughter of a Finnish carpenter, and his father an electrical engineer. As a youth, he played rugby and cricket and aspired to be a professional surfer. His mother Toini, who had a single-figure handicap, taught the 15-year-old Norman how to play golf and allowed him to caddy for her at the Virginia Golf Club in Brisbane. Within about eighteen months, Norman went from a 27 handicap to a scratch handicap. In Townsville, Queensland, Norman attended Townsville Central State School (enrolled 1964) and then Townsville Grammar School then moved on to Aspley State High School on the north side of Brisbane. Amateur career In June 1974, at the age of 19, Norman received media attention at the Queensland Open. The Canberra Times reported that "the young amateur Greg Norman" was one shot off the lead after the first round. Professional career As of March 1975, Norman had turned professional. He served as assistant professional under Billy McWilliam OAM at Beverley Park Golf Club in Sydney, New South Wales. Shortly thereafter, in the same year, Norman started work as Charlie Earp's trainee in the Royal Queensland Golf Club pro shop, earning A$38 a week. Australian and European Tours Norman's first four-round professional tournament was the 1976 South Coast Open at Bateman's Bay. In the first round, Norman shot a 68 (−3) to put him in a tie for fifth place, three back of David Good's lead. He followed it up with an even-par 71 to remain in the top ten. In the third round, he "jumped into the reckoning" with a two-under-par 69 which included five birdies on the back nine, one back of the lead. In the final round, he had a chance to win down the stretch but was "edged out" by Barry Burgess. His second tournament was at the following week's Queensland Open. Norman was well back of the lead entering Sunday but shot a final round 70 (−3) to finish in a tie for third. The next week he recorded another top-15 finish at the New South Wales Open. His fourth tournament was the West Lakes Classic held at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, South Australia. In the first round, Norman "upstaged his more experienced opponents" to shoot a "brilliant" 64 (−7) to take a three shot lead. In the second round, despite incurring three penalty strokes, Norman shot a four-under-par 67 to expand his lead to five shots. Norman followed it up with a 66 (−5) to create 10 shot lead. On Sunday, however, he had a "fluctuating" final round with six bogeys, six pars, five birdies, and one double-bogey for a 74 (+3). Though David Graham got within four shots Norman held on to win by five. Norman described the win as "unreal." He later said, "It's been a great experience and now I know what now to do − I think." Norman joined the European Tour in the following year and had his first victory in a European event that same season at the Martini International at the Blairgowrie Club in Scotland. In 1980, Norman earned a sizable victory in the French Open, winning the tournament by ten shots. He won the Scandinavian Enterprise Open in Sweden with a course record of 64 in the final round. Later in 1980, Norman won the Suntory World Match Play Championship. Norman also won his first Australian Open that year, his first of five wins in that event. In 1981, Norman finished in 4th place on his debut at the Masters in Augusta, finishing just three strokes behind the winner Tom Watson. Norman had a victory in the 1981 British Masters and he won his third Martini International tournament that year as well. In 1982, Norman was the leading money winner on the European Tour. He won three European events that year, including successfully defending his British Masters title. The following year, Norman joined the U.S. PGA Tour. PGA Tour In June 1984, Norman won his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Kemper Open, winning by five strokes. He gained worldwide prominence a week later at the 1984 U.S. Open. Norman holed a dramatic 45-foot putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with former Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller. At the next day's 18-hole playoff, Zoeller would earn a 67–75 victory over Norman. He was able to put the defeat behind him with a victory at the Canadian Open the next month in July for his second win of the year. In 1985, Norman won the Toshiba Australian PGA Championship and the National Panasonic Australian Open. He had two runner-up finishes in the U.S. PGA Tour that year, finishing tied for second place at the Canadian Open and at the Bank of Boston Classic. In 1986, Norman's 11 worldwide victories that year included four wins in Australia and two regular PGA Tour events; the Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational and the Kemper Open (for the second time) but 1986 is remembered for the Norman Slam or the Saturday Slam. Norman held the lead for all four majors through 54 holes. This meant he played in the final group for every major and had perhaps the best chance in history of winning the single-season Grand Slam. However, the only major victory Norman earned that year was in the 1986 Open Championship at Turnberry. At the 1986 Masters, Norman began the final round with a one-stroke lead which he maintained until he double-bogeyed the 10th. After making four consecutive birdies on holes 14 to 17, Norman was tied with Jack Nicklaus going to the 18th. Norman missed a par putt on the 18th that would have sent the two into a sudden-death playoff. At the 1986 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, .... Discover the Greg M Hall popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Greg M Hall books.