Multiple PGA Tour winner Scott Simpson has labelled LIV Golf’s Greg Norman ‘a jerk nobody liked’ after ‘money changed’ the Australian.
Multiple PGA Tour winner Scott Simpson has claimed money changed Greg Norman into a ‘jerk nobody liked’.
“Simpson expressed his explosive opinions during an interview conducted by Golfweek’s Adam Schupak.” Norman has consistently been a controversial figure in the world of men’s professional golf. Anecdotes surrounding the champion who has won the Open twice are widely renowned.
In the early 90s, he faced considerable controversy as he made an attempt to create a ‘World Golf Tour’, which remains one of his most contentious endeavors.
The story has been told frequently, but essentially Norman gathered the world’s top golfers at Sherwood Country Club in 1994 to lay out his plan.
Guaranteed prize money, huge bonuses, only a smattering of events for the world’s top players.
Sound familiar?
In short, Norman was shot down. Emphatically so.
He was labelled greedy by his peers and, in his words, ostracised from the PGA Tour and smeared.
Norman is said to have been so angered by the rejection he has spent the last 25 years harbouring a grudge.
Now he finally gets to fulfil his dream via the LIV Golf League, of which the 68-year-old serves as their chief executive.
There have been suggestions over the past two years his days were numbered, given frequent gaffes and his apparent inability to not cause controversy whenever he opens his mouth.
But rumours of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The aforementioned Simpson made it clear to Golfweek he is bothered by LIV, which begins their third campaign this week in Mayakoba, Mexico.
The way he sees it, you had to ‘earn it’ on the PGA Tour.
“Tiger wasn’t guaranteed a cent,” he said. “Neither was Nicklaus. They were the best players in the world. They start the next year, they’re even.
“Yeah, they make off-course money, sure, but the Tour, you’re not guaranteed anything, you have to earn it. I always thought that was just great.”
Simpson, who won seven times on the PGA Tour between 1978-1999, also offered his verdict on Norman.
Of The Great White Shark, he explained: “I liked him when he first came over from Australia, he was fun and hit it, especially for back then, long and straight.
“He was a great player. Played with him quite a bit. He was a nice guy and everything.
“But then the more he got successful and the more money he made, he got more miserable because he has to live up to — I’m so big, and I’m such a businessman.
“He got miserable on the course. It was just like, why are you out here? He was just grumpy and entitled.
“Receiving such a large sum of money, I believe, somewhat altered his behavior and such. Everyone admired his spouse, but eventually they went through a divorce.
“Nick Price decided to give his son the same name as Greg, but eventually, they became completely estranged. Their lack of connection was truly peculiar.” “Norman recently transformed into an unpleasant person. He was not well-liked by anyone.”
