What Is the Greg Norman Medal? All About the Honor as LPGA Star Leads Over PGA Tour and LIV Golf Pros

Greg Norman is one of the most successful players from Australia. A two-time major winner, and with 88 professional wins in his career, and now leading the new LIV Golf as its CEO, Norman has brought much pride to the Australian golfing world.

Hence to acknowledge and celebrate his accomplishments the Greg Norman Medal was established in 2015. It is run by the Professional Golfer’s Association of Australia (PGA) in association with the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG). As LPGA’s newest superstar makes her third claim on it let’s learn what the award really means for professionals.

How does the Greg Norman Medal work?

Bestowed upon the best male or female golf professional in Australia each year, it is the nation’s most prestigious golf award. Every year the winner is chosen on the basis of what is their annual success across all Professional tours. For women the LPGA, Ladies European Tour, and the ALPG Tour are considered. For the male golfers PGA Tour, DP World Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Asian Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour are considered.

This year the Medal has been given to Minjee Lee which makes it her third time winning the honour. The 27-year-old won the Kroger Queen City Championship and BMW Ladies Championship. In a ceremony in Brisbane on Tuesday, she was given the title of the country’s most successful golfer of 2023. She even left behind her brother Min Woo in the race, who had a great year playing the Players Championship, US Open, and secured a full PGA Tour status.

The PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said, “Minjee continues to represent Australian golf in the best way possible,” Praising the representation of LPGA in this award he added, “To now have 10 wins on the LPGA Tour, including two major championships, at such a young age establishes Minjee as one of our greatest golfers of all time. And yet, I am sure there is much more to come.“

She was selected by the judging panel consisting of Karrie Webb, Peter O’Malley, Julia Boland, Ian Baker-Finch, and Rodger Davis. The same panel made the decision last year as well. Additionally, over the years the Medal has been graced upon only a selective few.

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Past winners of the Greg Norman Medal

The winner of the inaugural award in 2015 was Jason Day who again bagged it in 2016 as well. Then in 2017 medal went to Marc Leishman and in 2018 Minjee Lee was awarded her first Greg Norman Medal. In 2019 and 2020 Hannah Green and Cameron Smith were granted this title owing to their outstanding achievements.

Then in 2021 Minjee Lee made her second strike and won the Medal. Last year Cameron Smith slipped it out of her hands and claimed his second one. But this year Lee was back in winning form again. She has now made history by becoming the first golfer to win this recognition three times, outnumbering Smith and Jason Day.

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