A Golf Legend’s Prediction for The Masters

Greg Norman has mastered the comeback. Four years after being axed by Fox Sports, the Australian pro golfer will serve as lead analyst for SiriusXM’s exclusive audio coverage of the 2021 Masters Tournament.

Norman finished runner-up at the Masters three times, and often in heartbreaking fashion, but the “Great White Shark” also won two British Opens and more than 90 tournaments while reigning as the world’s No. 1 golfer for 331 consecutive weeks.

The 66-year-old is one of the most successful athletes-turned-entrepreneurs. His Greg Norman Company operates a dozen businesses, including golf course design, apparel, and real estate. 

Last November’s Masters had the tournament’s lowest TV ratings since 1957. This year, Norman predicts a ratings bounce-back as the event returns to its usual April date — along with spectators. 

• Tiger-less Masters: “Obviously there will be mention of Tiger because he’s history around Augusta [National], but I think the game of golf and the Masters stands head and shoulders above any player in the history of the game. That’s the way it should be.”
• Crowd roar: “You need that, because it resonates around the entire golf course. … It’s something that’s so unique to The Masters.”

As for his greatest personal victory, Norman says it was his “decision to leave a management company [IMG] and go on my own. The management company’s never going to build equity in your brand. They’re going to build equity in their own brand.”