Hughes Norton and George Peper, authors of RAINMAKER: Superagent Hughes Norton and the Money-Grab Explosion of Golf from Tiger to LIV and Beyond, join the LINKS Golf Podcast to chat about the book, dealing with golf’s biggest power players, and the state of today’s game.
Norton was once one of the most powerful men in golf. During his tenure as head of the golf division of Mark McCormack’s International Management Group (IMG), he was the lead agent for six world-number-one-ranked players, including both Greg Norman and Tiger Woods.
Before Tiger ever struck a ball as a professional, Norton did deals with Nike and Titleist that brought him more than $60 million, a then-unprecedented sum for a professional athlete. Less than two years later—and for reasons never explained—Tiger fired Norton. McCormack then did the same, giving him a multi-million-dollar parachute tied to a 10-year non-compete clause and a gag order.
Now, for the first time, Norton is talking—about his clients, his boss, and his role in fostering the era of unbridled greed that now threatens to destroy professional golf.
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Ep. 71: Pace of Play Expert Dr. Lou Riccio
Ep. 70: Lt. Col. Dan Rooney
Ep. 69: Author Luke Reese
Ep. 68: A Weekend Golfer Plays Pine Valley
Ep. 67: An Extraordinary Golf Trip with David McLay-Kidd
Ep. 66: Gambling and Golf with George Peper
Ep. 65: In-Depth on Big Cedar Lodge
Ep. 64: Ranking the World's Golf Countries with Darius Oliver
Ep. 63: A Golf Trip to Provence
Ep. 62: A Member's Guide to Winged Foot
Ep. 61: In-Depth on Sand Valley
Ep. 60: Dream Nine: Par Fives with Ryan Asselta
Ep. 59: Pinehurst Revisited, Plus an Interview with Director of Golf Ben Bridgers
Ep. 58: Tobacco Road and The Cradle—A Unique Day of Golf in Pinehurst
Ep. 57: What Does the Data Say About the Golf Business in 2020?
Ep. 56: A First-Timer's Guide to Bandon Dunes
Ep. 55: Golf Course Architect Mike DeVries
Ep. 54: 10 Ways the Pandemic Has Improved the Game
Ep. 53: Eric Sedransk (aka @member4aday)
Ep. 52: Tiger vs. Jack: Who is Golf's GOAT?
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