Greg Norman, widely recognized as the most successful golf professional-turned-businessman, whose golf course design practice has completed more than 70 projects on six continents in the past 20 years, will attend in person to accept the Golf Business Forum Lifetime Achievement Award.
From the days in 1975 when he made $38 a week working as a trainee in the Royal Queensland golf shop, Norman has earned more than $1 million five times on the U.S. PGA Tour, including three Arnold Palmer Awards as the 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 came at Turnberry in Scotland, where he shot a tournament-record-tying 63 en route to a five-shot victory over Gordon Brand, 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 38 percent of those he has entered.
And while his well-documented wins on the golf course secured him a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame, 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 that comprises several companies and divisions including Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Greg Norman Wine Estates, Greg Norman Australian Prime, Southern Cross Developments, Greg Norman Production Company, Greg Norman’s Australian Grille, Greg Norman Interactive as well as many other merchandising and licensing initiatives.
Norman is admired equally as a sportsman and businessman. He learned long ago that the game of golf could be a platform for something even greater, and he has transcended the game to become arguably the most successful athlete-turned-entrepreneur in history.
On May 13th, Greg Norman will be recognized for his lifetime commitment to the business and the game of golf and will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in front of an expected audience of more than 300 international industry professionals at Gloria Resort in Belek, Turkey.
Click here for previous lifetime achievement award recipients
