GOLFERS from Australia

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 49.62, Greg Norman is the most famous Australian Golfer.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages on wikipedia.

Gregory John Norman (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. Between 2021 and 2025, he was the 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. Jason Day (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 44.79, Jason Day is the 2nd 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.

3. Peter Thomson (1929 - 2018)

With an HPI of 44.04, Peter Thomson is the 3rd 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, often cited as the greatest and most successful golfer in Australian golf history. In the late 1940s, Thomson turned professional and immediately had success on the Australasian circuits, then posted his first international win at the 1950 New Zealand Open followed by the 1951 Australian Open. From the time he turned professional in 1949, Thomson won at least one tournament every year for the next 20 years, including 27 'National Opens'. Thomson won professional championships in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Philippines, England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Canada, India, Hong Kong and the United States. In the United Kingdom, Thomson had extraordinary success, winning dozens of tournaments on the British PGA circuit, including the Open Championship five times. As a senior, Thomson continued with success, winning 11 times on the Senior PGA Tour in the United States, including a record nine times in one season, 1985, a record he holds with Hale Irwin.

4. Adam Scott (b. 1980)

With an HPI of 39.84, Adam Scott is the 4th 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 who plays on the PGA Tour. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He has won one major championship, the 2013 Masters Tournament. After winning the Australian Boys' Amateur in 1997 and 1998, Scott attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he played for the UNLV Rebels until he turned professional in 2000. He soon earned membership on the European Tour and within three years he had won four European Tour events. Aged 23, Scott won the 2004 Players Championship, the flagship event on the PGA Tour, and afterwards played primarily in the United States. He won the Tour Championship in 2006 and rose into the top five of the Official World Golf Ranking. He suffered a slump in 2009 and fell outside the top 50 of the world rankings until winning the Australian Open. Scott moved back into the top 10 of the world rankings by winning the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, and finished runner-up at the 2012 Open Championship. Scott won his first major championship at the 2013 Masters Tournament, making him the first Australian to earn a green jacket. In 2014, he overtook Tiger Woods to reach the number one position in the Official World Golf Ranking, a position he held for 11 weeks. Scott has had enduring success since; as of 2025, he has a total of 32 worldwide wins, including 14 on the PGA Tour. He has also made eleven consecutive appearances for international team at the Presidents Cup from 2003 to 2024.

5. Karrie Webb (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 36.45, Karrie Webb is the 5th most famous Australian Golfer.  Her biography has been translated into 16 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.