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Jason Day's immediate future cloudy, while Greg Norman's sold half of his future

Australia's Jason Day will go head to head with Zach Johnson on the final day of the Presidents Cup. (Photo: AP)
Expert
22nd March, 2017
1

Defending champion Jason Day walked out of the Dell Match Play Championship today when he was three-down to Pat Perez after six holes.

In an emotion-charged media conference, Day said it was impossible for him to play with his mother Dening about to undergo surgery for lung cancer, which she was diagnosed with earlier in the year and given 12 months to live.

“She’s going in for surgery this Friday, and it’s really hard to even comprehend being on the golf course right now because of what she’s gone through,” Day said through teary eyes.

“It’s been really hard to play golf lately.

“I just need some time away with her to make sure that everything goes well, because this has been very, very tough for me.”

Day has slipped from world number one to number three behind Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy after just one top ten finish in his last five starts.

His next start is expected to be the Masters in two weeks.

Maybe.

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But it’s exactly the opposite for Greg Norman whose multi-millionaire status has just grown enormously.

Authentic Brands Group has brought into a partnership with the Greg Norman Company, which was known as Great White Shark Enterprises.

The ABG marketing officer Nick Woodhouse correctly described the 62-year-old Norman as “a walking billboard for the embodiment of wellness,” who “lives the aspirational lifestyle that proves 60 is the new 40.”

Norman’s empire not only covers the 102 golf courses he has already designed, but the 45 on the books, plus real estate, fashion, steak, and wines.

If only his golden business touch was evident during his golfing career where he won two British Opens, but blew eight other majors with the trophy in his grasp.

One of Norman’s many business coups was buying 12 per cent of Cobra Golf in 1991 for $1.9 million.

When Cobra was sold five years later, Norman banked $40 million.

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ABG and Norman haven’t released the millions involved in this new partnership, but the figure would be “substantial”.

Greg Norman becomes the fourth ABG involvement, after purchasing the Muhammad Ali Estate and Shaquille O’Neal’s business n 2013, and “Dr J” Ervine last year.

Big business to become bigger business.

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