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19th Hole

Greg Norman reveals that he contacted an on-site official immediately after watching Patrick Reed bunker incident at Hero

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This week, Greg Norman took to his Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio Show “Attack Life Radio,” and the Australian didn’t mince his words concerning Patrick Reed’s conduct at last week’s Hero World Challenge—claiming he was “repulsed” by what he saw.

On the show, the Australian discussed how he feels his native country will treat Reed at this week’s Presidents Cup, and also shared his thoughts on Cameron Smith’s public spat with the Texan. 

Norman also revealed that while watching the Hero on TV, he immediately texted a Tour official at the event after seeing Reed twice brush sand out of the way in a waste bunker. What’s more, the 64-year old claims that he “was the first person to reach out to anybody about seeing what had happened.”

*All quotes courtesy of SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio

“So much so when I actually – I’ll tell you what happened – when I was watching the Hero Challenge – I don’t normally watch it but I came in and I was going into my gym that afternoon and I just happened to turn it on. And I was watching it and I’m looking and I actually immediately text a Tour official that I knew was there, immediately. ‘Hey, where are you?’ He said, ‘Well, I’m on the 11th green.’ [I said,] ‘Have you seen what’s going on?’ He said, ‘What are you talking about?’ I said, ‘Get yourself into the NBC trailer right now and rewind that tape and just watch what Patrick Reed did.’ I said, ‘He’s improving his lie. He’s cheating.’ 

That’s what I said. So he said, ‘Ok, let me regroup.’ And he went into the trailer and he goes, ‘Ok, yeah.’ He said I was the first person to reach out to anybody about seeing what had happened. Now, I can’t speak for the NBC commentators. I can’t speak for the production crew that’s in the van watching all these multiple screens and stuff like that. All I know was that I was told that I was the first one to notify the Tour officials of this infraction. And rightfully so. I feel for not just the pros. I feel for all the amateurs. Like today when I played in the pro-am, what was the first point of conversation? ‘Oh, well Patrick Reed did it. Can we do it?’ Well, you can’t do that.”

The veteran was even more blunt when discussing what he felt after seeing the Reed incident in The Bahamas, stating that he was “repulsed” and how he would always do whatever necessary to protect the integrity of the sport.

“From my personal perspective, you know, I get really repulsed with that because, to me, you’ve got to protect the integrity of the game, not protect the player. Over the years that I’ve been involved with the sport, for 40-plus years, I’ve seen a lot of things happen and, to me, I’ve always been at the forefront of protecting the game before anybody else.

 I don’t care what it is, whether it is an infraction of the rules, or signing a scorecard incorrectly, or taking an illegal drop, or whatever it is that I see, I will always, always stand on the forefront of protecting the game first.”

Concerning his countryman Cameron Smith’s forthright views on the incident where he accused Reed of cheating, Norman explained how that forthrightness is an Australian trait and a taste of what Reed will be dealing with at Royal Melbourne this week.

“Look, I think how he’s going to be received, the sampling’s been given by Cameron Smith. He was very articulate. He was very forthright. You’ll find that the Australians and the Australian media, and the general public, they’re very forthright in their comments and there’s not a whole lot of tolerance for people who step across the line and take advantage of anything in sport.”

Attack Life Radio with Greg Norman airs on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio.

 

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

19th Hole

3-time PGA Tour winner calls for LIV to buy Champions Tour to fix ‘joke’ purses

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While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.

“We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.

“Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”

In 2024, the Champions Tour had a total of $67 million in prize money over the course of 24 events.

DiMarco also defended LIV players for taking the money and said he would take it also.

“They wanted to play for a lot of money, and they deserve it. They have had some great careers, why not go and get some money?”

DiMarco also offered insight on Graeme McDowell’s move to LIV.

“I saw Graeme McDowell at the Old Memorial Pro Member, and he goes, ‘Listen, I went up to Jay Monahan and said I love the tour but I am struggling to keep my card and these guys are offering me all this money and less golf. I’m sorry, I’m going.’ And I do not blame him one bit, and I said I would have too.”

DiMarco was ranked as high as 6th in the world in 2006.

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19th Hole

‘It won’t win you golf tournaments’ – Golf analyst rips Charley Hull’s course management

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Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.

After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.

While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.

“I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.

“The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.

“In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else. If you put Charley against Nelly Korda, then I’m picking Nelly every single day of the week.”

Johnson also made a fascinating comparison between Hull and a famous male golfer, John Daly.

“Golf-wise that’s the way she plays the game and it’s a little bit like watching John Daly I suppose.”

“There’s something that John Daly had that made him a major winner and a winner, but Charley is kind of lacking that. Her talent is not in question, but maybe her application is. Maybe it’s just the case of her never changing and that will cost her golf tournaments, there’s no two ways about it. You cannot go for every pin because that’s the way you play and it being fun, as other players are better than that and you have to have course management.”

Hull is still only 27, and therefore has plenty of time to work on her flaws to achieve the success her talent should allow.

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19th Hole

Former agent lifts lid on being fired by ‘zombie’ Tiger Woods

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Discussing his new book “Rainmaker” with the Daily Mail, Tiger Woods’ former agent, Hughes Norton, recounted the events leading up to and after his split with the 15-time major champion.

Norton was abruptly fired by Woods in 1998 after his 1997 Masters win and monster deal with Nike.

In the book, Norton talks about the way Tiger views his relationships, calling him a “zombie.”

The solace I can take, which doesn’t provide much, is this: He was an equal opportunity zombie with relationships, his swing coaches, his lawyer, the guy negotiated the IMG representation deal, with caddies, When it’s over, it’s over.”

Norton added:

“It is the way he terminates relationships with everyone. Whether it’s girlfriends, whether it’s his former golf coaches. It’s ironic, really. In a way he’s so good at confrontation on the golf course. If he’s playing you, he will beat your brains out every single time.

“But when it comes to confronting things like me and other people that are in his life, he has no social skills whatsoever. It’s maddening, actually.”

After he was fired by Woods, Norton was let go by IMG, which he believes was due to Woods’ influence.

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