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Cyber-Shark
Norman targets Web as next venture
Posted: Sunday December 26, 1999 10:44 PM
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Greg Norman talked with CNNSI's Jim Huber about his new web site and his expectations in 2000. CNN/SI |
There's more to Greg Norman's life than just golf these days. While the Shark is gearing up for a big year on the course in 2000, he also hopes to make a huge splash off of it too. As lead golf reporter
Jim Huber
found out during a recent interview on CNN/SI's Pro Golf Weekly, Norman is expanding his business empire to include the World Wide Web.
Jim Huber : Mr. Norman, you
are the ultimate renaissance man.
Once again, you have add
something new. You've got your
fingers in every pie in the world it
seems like. Explain this new
addition to your portfolio.
Greg Norman : Well Jimmy,
basically the addition is getting
involved with the Internet. I think if
you are not in that game by now, the
whole world has passed you by. We
kind of like put two and two together
in our own mind. We've got
www.shark.com and see if we can
get associated and keep it in the
retail product business and get
some e-commerce out of this. How
do we get e-commerce? You've got
to have a great partner. We could
have taken it on ourselves but it
would have been a lot of hard work.
Why not go to somebody who's an
expert in that field who's basically
doing it the best anyone has done it?
So we went to
www.Mammothgolf.com and formed
a partnership that is really the
cutting edge.
Huber : Greg, what fuels
you? Do you have to play
championship golf to keep the
businesses flourishing or vice
versa? How do you stand on that?
Norman : Jimmy, I don't
think that's the case anymore. I think
about four or five years ago, yes it
was. I think we've got such a critical
mass going and we're basically
identified where we want to go. Of
course, you keep on building like I
said on each one trying to expand
them if you can. We don't go out
there and frivolously grab something
off the vine and say this is what
we're going to do.
Huber : But do you have to
keep your name in front of the public
eye on the golf course to maintain
the businesses at the level you
want?
Norman : Yes and no in some
aspects. Golf Course Design for
example. I don't have to go out there
and win nine tournaments a year to
keep Golf Course Design operating.
But winning nine tournaments a year
is very good for Mammothgolf.com.
It's very good for shark.com. It's
very good for Greg Norman
collection. Obviously yes. But at the
same time if the structure of the
company is good and it has a good
base, it's a self-standing company. It
can go out there with the people
within the business and within the
organization and they can do it. I
doesn't necessarily mean that I
have to be out there flying that flag
every day saying, "I'm shooting 63,
63, 63, 63...here I am the golfer.
Huber : This past season
was sort of a shakedown cruise for
you after 1998. Did Augusta tell you
that the fire was still burning pretty
bright in there?
Norman : Very much so
Jimmy. I think there was like a
nuclear explosion in there in lots of
ways good and bad. I went into
Augusta with a 70% game physically.
I went in there with probably 105%
desire and want out of the whole
thing. This just showed to me and
proved to me that my No. 1 passion
in life is playing the game of golf. I
love it. I love the competitive spirit. I
don't play it to be the No. 1 in the
world. I play it to be the best I can be
everytime I perform on the golf
course. sometimes it's good,
sometimes it's bad. You have to
take the good with the bad. We're
only human beings. We're going to
make screwups, we're going to make
good things out of bad things and
bad things out of good things. So, I
think the overall thing that shines the
hottest within me Jimmy is the fact
that I still want to back out there. I'm
still resilient enough to say, "Okay, I
want this. I want to go back there and
play to the level I know I can play."
And to be able to go back and
practice now, I've seen a huge
change within myself and within my
game.
Huber : 2000 is going to be
a bit of a different year for you isn't
it?
Norman : very much so
Jimmy. I'm pretty much back to a full
schedule. I like that idea because
the whole process of the last 18
months was a feeling out process to
see whether the surgery was
successful. And I'm keen to go back.
That's the most important part. I'm
keen to practice, I'm keen to go back.
So the year 2000, with some of the
classic venues for major
championships, you want to be out
for your game anyway. So I'm going
to be playing a little bit [pause], well
a lot more golf than what I've done
for the last 18 months.
Huber : Greg, thanks very
much. Best of luck with the new
venture. And have a happy holiday
to both you and your family.
Norman : Thanks, Jimmy and
the same with you.
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