“Greg has to go,” were the words Tiger Woods said back in 2022 as a term for any peaceful talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Before that, in 2015, Greg Norman shared that he didn’t know Woods enough to have an opinion on him. But, the two have interacted plenty.

Greg Norman and Tiger Woods first met in 1991 when Woods was 15, playing a round at Bay Hill. They played practice rounds together at the Masters in 1995 and 1996, forming a bond despite a 21-year age gap. However, their relationship soured in 1996 when Woods initially listed Norman’s Shark Shootout on his schedule, but later declined the formal invitation after tournament officials stated he hadn’t been invited. That folks, is one of the reasons why the two don’t see eye-to-eye. Add to that Norman’s recent remarks on TGL, and it’s bad.

And with Greg Norman’s recent comments on Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, seems like the fences are up again. Recently, Greg Norman was present at the Society of the Four Arts. He was asked the infamous question: Nicklaus vs Woods. His answer? “Jack, by far. But you’ve got to put that in perspective. You look at the different eras that happened. I always put Jack down there. Tiger’s extremely consistent, Tiger’s extremely good. There’s no question about it. But Jack has done more, and he is the consummate winner and he is the consummate loser.”

Norman continued his statement at the Society of the Four Arts, “Jack will always instill value into the younger generation. I’ve seen it, I’ve experienced it and I’ve been involved with it, so that’s why I keep Jack up there. I don’t talk to Tiger. I don’t know. Maybe he’s different. I’ve spent a lot of time with Jack, so it’s going to be very hard for anybody to get me to bump him off the top of his pedestal.” There’s an interesting story Greg Norman shared in 2015.

Undoubtedly, the vitriol has increased so much that Norman even accepted in 2024 that “I don’t know—maybe Tiger just dislikes me” after he did not receive a reply to a hand-written letter he had given Woods after his 2019 Masters win. And in reply to that “Greg has to go” demand, Norman called Tiger Woods “a mouthpiece for the PGA Tour.” Ouch!

So, Woods and he lived in the same locale. But when Graham Bensinger asked him what he thought of Woods, Norman said that the two probably only shared “two words” during the Presidents Cup. Later when Jack Nicklaus shifted to the same neighborhood, Norman had expressed “camaraderie, sportsmanship, and team spirit” by showing up at Nicklaus’s place. But why does Norman adore Jack Nicklaus so much?

The Shark’s Masters epiphany on The Bear

Of course, their story started long before their special Masters moment in 1981. It started in 1976 when the two first competed in the 1976 Australian Open. Then, playing alongside his idol, Norman struggled with nerves and cold-topped his opening drive. He hit it only 40 yards and finished with a score of 80. He improved the next day with a score of 72, just one shot behind Nicklaus. But what got to him were Nicklaus’ words. Nicklaus put his hand on Norman’s knee and said, “You’ve got the game to do well in America.” For a fan like Norman, that was a blessing. “And that was that. Again, that was Jack saying the right thing at the right time to give me the confidence.” No wonder he appreciates The Bear so much.

There’s mutual respects here. In a 2022 interview, Jack Nicklaus didn’t hold back his appreciation, calling Greg Norman “an icon in the game of golf” and giving a nod to his incredible skill, labeling him a “great player,” but, here’s another important moment!

In 1981, in his Masters debut, Greg Norman was paired with the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Norman shared the story during his interview with Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio. Norman shared that he was nervous playing alongside Nicklaus, even though he had played with him in Australia a few times. They teed off and both hit good drives. But it wasn’t until they settled at the bottom of the gulley that Jack shared his nervousness. “Jack put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘I hope you’re as nervous as I am right now,’ Norman revealed.

Neither Greg Norman (4) nor Jack Nicklaus (T2) won the tournament, but the latter had earned himself a loyal fan at Augusta National. Norman expressed his admiration, saying, “And that kind of just made me relax so quickly. And that really told me the character and the nature and what a gentleman Nicklaus has always been on the golf course whether you’re beating him or not.”