Greg Norman, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, wildly successful entrepreneur and staunch proponent for golf’s positive relationship with the environment, has been selected to receive the 2008 Old Tom Morris Award by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).
The award will be presented at the Opening Session of the 2008 GCSAA Education Conference, Jan. 31, 2008. The conference (Jan. 28-Feb. 1) will be held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show (Jan. 31-Feb. 2) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
"I have always had the utmost respect for the GCSAA and I believe its members are truly the unsung heroes of our sport," Norman said. "It is a distinct honor to be selected for the Old Tom Morris Award and to join this distinguished list of past recipients."
GCSAA’s most prestigious honor, the Old Tom Morris Award is presented each year to an individual who "through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf has helped to mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplified by Old Tom Morris." Morris (1821-1908) was greenkeeper and golf professional at the St. Andrews Links Trust Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland; a four-time winner of the British Open (1861, ’62, ’64 and ’67); and ranked as one of the top links designers of the 19th century.
Born Feb. 10, 1955, in Queensland, Australia, Norman grew up swimming, fishing and playing cricket, Aussie Rules football, rugby, track and field, and squash. He first picked up a golf club at the age of 15 and within 18 months was playing off scratch. Norman turned professional four years later.
Labeled the "Great White Shark" by a headline writer for the Augusta Chronicle after the first round of the 1981 Masters, Norman owns 91 professional victories, including 20 PGA Tour titles and two British Open Championships (1986 at Turnberry and 1993 at Royal St. George’s). He is a five-time Byron Nelson Award winner and a three- time Vardon Trophy winner for the lowest adjusted scoring season average. Norman is a three-time Arnold Palmer Award winner as the PGA Tour’s leading money winner and he was the first person to surpass $10 million in career earnings. He won the 1995 Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA Tour player of the year, and he held the No. 1 world ranking for 331 weeks. Norman also represented Australia in three Presidents Cups. He has 29 top-10 finishes in the majors and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.
"Greg Norman truly embodies the spirit of this award," said GCSAA President Ricky D. Heine, CGCS. "A true friend to our profession and association, he has made countless contributions to the game."
As much success as Norman has had in his playing days, he has continued his winning ways in the business world. Norman serves as chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises, a multinational corporation with offices in Jupiter, Fla., and Sydney, Australia.
The company’s interests are primarily focused around golf and the golf lifestyle. Established in 1987, Greg Norman Golf Course Design is recognized as one of the premier signature design groups.
Medallist Developments is an international developer of premier residential golf course communities. Greg Norman Turf Co. licenses proprietary turfgrasses for golf courses, athletic fields and home lawns. Greg Norman Collection is a leading worldwide marketer and distributor of men’s sportswear, golf apparel and accessories. Greg Norman Estates produces a line of highly rated wines.
The Greg Norman Production Co. manages the Merrill Lynch Shootout, a PGA Tour sanctioned event played annually at the Norman designed Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. The event has raised more than $10 million for CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation since its inception in 1989. Norman was honored by CureSearch with the 2002 Hands of Hope Award, and he is an honorary trustee for the foundation’s board.
Two other Norman designs host PGA Tour events: TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., site of the AT&T Classic; and El Camaleón Golf Club at Mayakoba in Quintana Roo, Mexico, site of the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
A longtime supporter of the golf course superintendent profession, Norman is a vocal leader in the movement to make the game of golf more compatible with the environment. He became a trustee of GCSAA’s philanthropic organization, The Environmental Institute for Golf, in 2003 and has served as chairman of The Institute’s Advisory Council since its inception that year. The Advisory Council provides guidance to The Institute’s board of trustees in the areas of outreach, fundraising and strategic planning. The members are selected to enhance The Institute’s ability to cultivate relationships with current and potential donors, as well as communicate the importance of the work conducted by The Institute.
GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association’s philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf, works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
The GCSAA Education Conference, held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show, is the largest educational conference in the turfgrass management industry. More than 100 seminars and 50 additional hours of educational sessions are offered, covering all ranges of golf course management, including agronomics, communication and business management.
Old Tom Morris Award Winners:
1983Arnold Palmer1996Tom Fazio
1984Bob Hope1997Ben Crenshaw
1985Gerald Ford1998Ken Venturi
1986Patty Berg1999Jaime Ortiz-Patiño
1987Robert Trent Jones, Sr.2000Nancy Lopez 1988Gene Sarazen2001Tim Finchem 1989Chi Chi Rodriguez2002Walter Woods 1990Sherwood Moore, CGCS2003Pete Dye 1991William C. Campbell2004Rees Jones 1992Tom Watson2005Jack Nicklaus 1993Dinah Shore2006Joseph M. Duich, Ph.D.
1994Byron Nelson2007Charles Sifford
1995Dr. James R. Watson2008Greg Norman
Note: The title "CGCS," after a superintendent’s name, stands for Certified Golf Course Superintendent, which recognizes the achievement of high standards of professionalism through education and experience.
Contact:
Jeff Bollig, GCSAA director of communications 800-472-7878, ext. 4430 or jbollig@gcsaa.org