At the LIV team championship in Miami, Australian golf legend and LIV Golf chairman Greg Norman found himself at the center of some light-hearted banter. The 68-year-old, who is known for his muscular physique and shirtless photos, was surprised to see one of his fans wearing a t-shirt with a printed image of his six-pack abs in sky-blue jeans.
The significance of the T-shirt lay in its reference to a viral photo from a year ago. In that memorable picture, Norman took a shirtless walk along the beach in his blue shorts, accompanied by his dog.
From Six-Pack T-Shirt Banter to Internet Fury
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The photo, which showed Norman’s impressive physique and bulge, attracted a lot of attention and comments from celebrities and fans alike. One of them was Paige Spiranac, the former professional golfer and social media personality, who liked the photo and wrote, “Greg ‘The Shark’ Norman. More like hammerhead Shark”.
Spiranac’s comment went viral and sparked a lot of reactions from internet users. However, some of them criticized her for objectifying him and being hypocritical since she had spoken out against body shaming in the past. The golf influencer defended her comment saying it was just a harmless joke and not offended by Norman’s photo.
On Sunday, Norman posted the photo on his own Instagram account, where he has over 242,000 followers. Fans eagerly expressed their thought on the image, with some of their comments including:
View this post on Instagram
Among those who weighed in on the quirky snapshot was his golf buddy, Arnaud Serie, who said, “Love it,” along with a laughing emoji.
One Instagram user said, “Always a good time.”
One user recalled Spiranac’s comment as he said, “Greg Norman “The Great White Shark” has a pet HammerHead. #packing This is the way.”
A different user compared LIV to the PGA Tour saying, “I obviously love the pga tour but something like this would never fly at the pga. Iiv is making golf more fun and more like other sports with things similar to tailgating, hazing, and a overall more lighthearted approach to the game instead of a cult-like approach to it with insane rules and out of date traditions”
Another comment humorously pointed out the common interest among LIV fans saying, “The Venn diagram of LIV fans and dudes who zoomed in on the hammer is a perfect circle.”
Lastly, a user made a playful reference saying, “The Great White Shaft.”
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Norman’s Chairmanship in Limbo Amid Merger Drama
However, Norman’s future as LIV Golf chairman is uncertain, as the merger agreement, which was announced in June 2023, now hangs on the threat as documents submitted to a US senate hearing reportedly revealed that one of the main conditions of the merger was for Norman to be removed as LIV Golf CEO.
The PGA Tour had apparently pushed for this clause as part of its agreement with PIF, citing Norman’s lack of credibility and trustworthiness in the golf industry.
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However, Norman has denied these claims and insisted that he was never in fear of losing his job or being sidelined by the merger. He said that he had “zero” concerns about his future and that he is proud of what he had achieved with LIV Golf. The LIV Golf CEO also expressed his hope that the merger would work out for the best.
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