Norman, Greg

Norman, Greg (Gregory John Norman), 1955–, Australian golfer, b. Mt. Isa, Queensland. Noted for his power, the "White Shark," a professional since 1976, is tremendously popular with the gallery. Although he has won dozens of tournaments, the 1986 and 1993 British Opens are his only major victories, and he is famous for losing leads in the final round, most notably in the 1996 Masters. Norman won the 1994 Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the Professional Golfers Association tour. In 1995 he became the PGA's leading career money winner.

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Norman, Greg(ory John)

(born Feb. 10, 1955, Mount Isa, Queen., Austl.) Australian golfer. After losing the 1984 U.S. Open in an 18-hole playoff, he won the British Open in 1986 and repeated that victory in 1993. Nicknamed “the Great White Shark” for his light blond hair and his aggressive style, he had compiled 78 career individual victories by 1998. Though he was one of the top PGA career money winners, victory in the most prestigious tournaments often eluded him—he lost the Masters Tournament by one stroke in 1986 and 1987 and has been the runner-up in eight major tournaments. His gracious attitude after his loss to Nick Faldo in the 1996 Masters won him a large number of fans.