Greg Norman vows to do shoey at LIV Golf Adelaide
Greg Norman has never done a shoey - despite American golfer Talor Gooch trying to get him to last year. But that could all change at LIV Golf Adelaide.
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Greg Norman has vowed to do a shoey — if asked — on Sunday at LIV Golf Adelaide.
The boss of the league said he’d knocked back previous requests to drink out of a shoe, the move made famous by Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo, and adopted by Australian golf star Cameron Smith.
“No I haven’t done a shoey: Talor (Gooch) tried to get me to do one last year but I didn’t,’’ Norman said. “I will do it this year if someone asks me to.”
Last year both Smith and Bryson DeChambeau indulged in the local tradition and did a shoey after play. It would be an iconic moment for the Australian golf legend as the final day promises to be a close finish.
Smith and DJ Fisher, who performed to a huge crowd at Grange Golf Club on Saturday night, did shoeys for the crowd.
At a special dinner at the Cellar Door on the party hole 12th, Norman got emotional when speaking about South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas — and also had a dig at his below par golf skills.
“He is a person who’s really been a driver for the state,’’ Norman said.
“I know he’s Labor, I’m not going down this path, just saying he’s Labor. The way he cares about this state, this city, is phenomenal.
“He took a punt, he saw the vision and knew what needed to be done for the city.
“He knew golf, he plays like crap. I watched him the other day and I went ‘oh my god’. We’ve got a lot of work to do on him on that.
“But sitting down with him was refreshing because he drank the cool aid of knowing what we had before we even knew what we had. I’m extremely proud of what’s happened here in Adelaide.”
Golf stars Smith, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson also appeared at the event, along with ambassadors Ellidy Pullin and Dylan Buckley, and Collingwood star Mason Cox.
In the crowd on Saturday were Lleyton Hewitt, Alex Carey, Casey Stoner, Adelaide WAGs and Craig Hutchison.
“The key is the embracing of the community,’’ Norman said.
“I go back to the 2020 Olympics, it was in Sydney but it was really the Australian Olympics and we all embraced it. Australia wrapped their arms around it. We’ve had 30 countries who’ve bought tickets to come here. You’re talking about Australia, Down Under.
“The most fascinating data point, in a matter of a year and a half 60 percent of our sales are below 45 years of age. Seeing the young generation out there, they’re looking up to it and you’re part of a family building a legacy through your franchise.”
Originally published as Greg Norman vows to do shoey at LIV Golf Adelaide
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