Norman to Receive Old Tom Morris Award

Greg Norman has been selected to receive the 2008 Old Tom Morris Award by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. The award will be presented at the Opening Session of the 2008 GCSAA Education Conference, January 31, 2008. The conference (January 28-February 1) will be held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show (January 31- February 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."

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 The Environmental Institute for Golf in 2003 and has served as chairman of The Institute's Advisory Council since its inception that year.

Born February 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 wins and two British Open titles (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 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 had in his playing days he's continued to be on top 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 a premier design group. 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.

Previous Old Tom Morris Award Winners

1983 - Arnold Palmer
1984 - Bob Hope
1985 - Gerald Ford
1986 - Patty Berg
1987 - Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
1988 - Gene Sarazen
1989 - Chi Chi Rodriguez
1990 - Sherwood Moore, CGCS
1991 - William C. Campbell
1992 - Tom Watson
1993 - Dinah Shore
1994 - Byron Nelson
1995 - James R. Watson, Ph.D.
1996 - Tom Fazio
1997 - Ben Crenshaw
1998 - Ken Venturi
1999 - Jaime Ortiz-Patiño
2000 - Nancy Lopez
2001 - Tim Finchem
2002 - Walter Woods
2003 - Pete Dye
2004 - Rees Jones
2005 - Jack Nicklaus
2006 - Joseph M. Duich, Ph.D.
2007 - Charles Sifford
2008 - Greg Norman

The above report was originally in the Divot Mix, an e-publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (www.gcsaa.org).