Greg Norman is 70! The Australian pro golfer has enjoyed a tremendous career since he won his first PGA Tour title, the 1984 Kemper Open. It’s been a long time since and Norman has continued to dominate the course as a player and an authority figure for over 40 years. Despite being relieved of his duties as the LIV Golf CEO, the Australian revealed that he won’t stop contributing to the game of golf.

Such is the determination of one of the most influential figures in the sport. On his 70th birthday, let’s acknowledge other moments where his persistence helped him become a world-beater. Here are 15 unbelievable facts about Greg Norman.

Unbelievable career statistics

There is no question that Greg Norman is one of the PGA Tour’s most decorated players. He has won 20 titles in the circuit, including 2 majors; the 1986 and 1993 Open Championship. But he has an even more unreal record around the world. His efforts in the DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Australian PGA Tour, and other prominent circuits have helped him win 70 International titles in his career. This includes 6 Australian Masters and 4 Australian Opens. Quite a surreal record of the ex-boss of LIV Golf, don’t you think?

A habit of finishing 2nd

This is one record that might put Greg Norman way above Rory McIlroy‘s near misses. The Irishman is infamous for getting ridiculously close to winning titles all throughout his career. But Norman has finished as a runner-up almost three more times than his adversary. According to the official PGA Tour website, the Australian legend has had 31 second-place finishes in his PGA Tour career as compared to Rory McIlroy’s 11.

Permanent place at the world no. 1 spot

This time around, Greg Norman seems to be competing with another one of his rivals. The Australian pro was ranked the best golfer in the world for a total of 331 weeks throughout his career. Just for context, the next person in the lineup is the 4Aces GC captain, Dustin Johnson. But compared to Norman’s 331, Johnson only spent 135 weeks as the world no. 1 player. On the other side of the table, the GOAT has spent a total of 683 weeks at the top of the rankings. Just goes to show how dominant Tiger Woods and Greg Norman were during their prime.

Multi-time Open Championship winner

Greg Norman may have not dominated the majors too often. But there is no question that he had a firm grip on the British Open title in 1986 and 1993. In 1986, Norman teed off against a formidable field of Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, and Spanish legend; Seve Ballesteros. In the challenging conditions at the Turnberry Golf Resort in Scotland, he was the only golfer who could match the par to win the title. Everyone else on the field was at least 5-over par during the tournament. Playing at the Royal St George’s Golf Club in 1993, the conditions were far different than Norman’s first Open Championship victory. Yet, he came out on top against Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, and Bernhard Langer to win the last major of his career. Truly remarkable!

Award-winning golfer

Greg Norman has often complained that he has never received the recognition he deserved in golf. However, his 5 Byron Nelson Awards tell a different story. The birthday boy was acknowledged for his efforts on the course in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, and 1995. He won the awards for achieving the lowest adjusted scoring average. This shows that Greg Norman always was a highly valued player in professional golf. Wouldn’t you agree?

Some more accolades

Norman has also been awarded the Vardon Trophy multiple times by the PGA Tour of America. The now 70-year-old received the prestigious award a total of 3 times in his career. Norman managed to win the trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average in 1989, 1990, and 1994.

Drowning in trophies

If the title didn’t make it clear, yes, Greg Norman has won 3 more awards in his career. In 1986, 1990, and 1995, the Australian accepted the Arnold Palmer Award for his incredible performances. This makes us wonder, why was he complaining about never getting recognized.

Record-setting career winnings

Yes, Greg Norman has a record in the PGA Tour. The former LIV Golf Commissioner was the first golfer on the PGA Tour to get $10 million in career earnings. Norman was indeed one of the richest golfer in the world purely off of his on-course exploits.

Big misses at Augusta National

Being one of the best golfers in the world comes with its expectations. However, Norman couldn’t fulfill the prophecy and win a Masters Tournament in his career. He came incredibly close twice, in 1986 and 1996. But the 20x PGAT winner blew the opportunity on both occasions. By the end of the third round in ’86, Norman had a 1 stroke lead over the field. However, Jack Nicklaus had one of the best final rounds of his career to jump up 8 spots and win the title. In 1996, Greg Norman had a 6-stroke lead against Sir Nick Faldo. Unfortunately, he managed to score 6-over in the final round while Faldo scored -5 to win by a big margin.

Regarded as one of the best among his peers

This is another instance where Greg Norman received a lot of acknowledgment for his career. In 2001, the 70-year-old was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame by his fellow golfers. What’s even more surprising is that he received 80% of the votes of approval for the induction. This is one of the highest percentages of acceptance anyone has ever received.

Not just one of the greatest golfers in the world

Apart from his achievements on the course, Greg Norman is also regarded as one of the best golf course designers in the world. Some of his greatest work can be seen at the KN Golf Links, El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba, and Legend Danang Golf Resort. He has designed over 100 golf courses in his life.

Fishing for achievements

It is a well-known fact that Greg Norman is an avid fisherman. His love and passion for fishing can be seen across various platforms, including his social media. In fact, Norman has also won quite a few Fishing Tournaments in his career. Just something to add to his prestigious trophy cabinet.

Finding it difficult to settle down

Greg Norman’s adventures have often made him travel all around the world. Whether he is golfing, designing courses, or fishing, there is no question the Australian leads a busy life. Unfortunately, it took him a while before he could find a partner who could keep up with his exploits. Greg Norman has been married 3 times in his life. One of them was also with legendary tennis player, Chris Evert.

Late to the party

With his list of achievements, one would think that Greg Norman always wanted to be a professional golfer. Surprisingly, that is not the case as he took an interest in the sport much later in his life. Norman was 15 years old when he first started taking golf seriously. That explains why he didn’t get his first PGA Tour card until he was 28. All we can say is, better late than never as fans still got to see him dominate the course and build a successful career.

Last, but not the least

Among all the amazing records Greg Norman holds, this definitely is one of the best. The Australian legend had the lowest scoring average in a round in 1994. His dominance was evident as he managed an average of 68.81 points in 18 holes throughout the season. Interestingly, that was also the lowest average record in history during that time.

70 years of life and so many amazing stories to share. There is no question that Greg Norman is one of the most established and successful golfers in the history of the sport. As he moves on to the next stage of his life, let’s hope he adds many more records to his name. Let’s wish Greg Norman a happy birthday.