The Most Famous
GOLFERS from Australia
This page contains a list of the greatest Australian Golfers. The pantheon dataset contains 71 Golfers, 4 of which were born in Australia. This makes Australia the birth place of the 5th most number of Golfers behind South Africa, and Spain.
Top 5
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Australian Golfers of all time. This list of famous Australian Golfers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Greg Norman (b. 1955)
With an HPI of 42.13, Greg Norman is the most famous Australian Golfer. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages on wikipedia.
Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian former professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors: The Open Championship in 1986 and 1993. Norman also earned thirty top-10 finishes and was the runner-up eight times in majors throughout his career. In a reference to his blond hair, size, aggressive golf style and his birthplace's native coastal animal, Norman's nickname is "the Great White Shark" (often shortened to just "the Shark"), which he earned after his play at the 1981 Masters. Norman's business interests began during his playing career. He is the chairman and CEO of the Greg Norman Company, a global corporation with a portfolio of companies in fields including apparel, interior design, real estate, wine production, private equity and golf course design. In 2021, he was named CEO of LIV Golf Investments, a start-up company financed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund; the LIV Golf Invitational Series of golf tournaments began in 2022. Norman has donated to and established numerous charities and charity events, like the QBE Shootout which benefits the CureSearch for Children's Cancer fund. He became a Trustee of the Environmental Institute for Golf in 2004 and received the Golf Writers Association of America's Bartlett Award in 2008 for his charitable work.
2. Peter Thomson (1929 - 2018)
With an HPI of 34.82, Peter Thomson is the 2nd most famous Australian Golfer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Peter William Thomson (23 August 1929 – 20 June 2018) was an Australian professional golfer. In the late 1940s, Thomson turned pro and had much success on the Australasian circuits, culminating with a win at the 1951 Australian Open. He then moved onto the PGA Tour, playing on the circuit in 1953 and 1954, but did not have much success, failing to win. He decided to focus on Europe thereafter with extraordinary success, winning dozens of tournaments on the British PGA, including the Open Championship five times. As a senior, Thomson continued with success, winning 11 times on the Senior PGA Tour. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all-time.
3. Adam Scott (b. 1980)
With an HPI of 32.00, Adam Scott is the 3rd most famous Australian Golfer. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Adam Derek Scott (born 16 July 1980) is an Australian professional golfer. In 2000, Scott turned professional and quickly earned European Tour membership. He won four tour events early in his career. In 2004, Scott won The Players Championship, the flagship event on the PGA Tour, and has focused on the United States since then. In the early 2010s, Scott began his greatest stretch of his career. He won the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, finished runner-up 2012 Open Championship, and won the 2013 Masters Tournament. In 2014, Scott won The Colonial earning the world #1 ranking for first time. Since then Scott's success has endured, winning multiple international tournaments.
4. Karrie Webb (b. 1974)
With an HPI of 29.08, Karrie Webb is the 4th most famous Australian Golfer. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Karrie Anne Webb (born 21 December 1974) is an Australian professional golfer. She plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour, and also turns out once or twice a year on the ALPG Tour in her home country. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. She has 41 wins on the LPGA Tour, more than any other active player.
5. Jason Day (b. 1987)
With an HPI of 20.05, Jason Day is the 5th most famous Australian Golfer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Jason Anthony Day (born 12 November 1987) is an Australian professional golfer. Day had early success as a professional, earning PGA Tour membership in his teens and winning an event in his third season, the HP Byron Nelson Championship. In 2015, Day recorded his breakout season, winning five events including the PGA Championship, a major championship, while ascending to #1 in the world. Day maintained exemplary play through 2016, winning three tournaments including The Players Championship and preserving his #1 ranking. Since that season, however, Day's play has been much more erratic and he ultimately fell outside of the top 100 in the world. In 2023, however, he recorded a comeback year, winning the AT&T Byron Nelson, the site of his first win, and returning to the world's top 20.
People
Pantheon has 5 people classified as Australian golfers born between 1929 and 1987. Of these 5, 4 (80.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Australian golfers include Greg Norman, Adam Scott, and Karrie Webb. The most famous deceased Australian golfers include Peter Thomson. As of April 2024, 1 new Australian golfers have been added to Pantheon including Karrie Webb.
Living Australian Golfers
Go to all Rankings
Greg Norman
1955 - Present
HPI: 42.13
Adam Scott
1980 - Present
HPI: 32.00
Karrie Webb
1974 - Present
HPI: 29.08
Jason Day
1987 - Present
HPI: 20.05
