Greg Norman’s Unsettling Flight Experience

Greg Norman recently faced a frightening incident that might top any challenge he encountered on the golf course throughout his storied career.

The 70-year-old Australian golfer shared a shocking moment on his Instagram, revealing that the windshield of his private plane was “smashed” during a flight that was meant to take him from California to Florida.

Fortunately, there appeared to be no other damage aside from the windshield itself.

In his post, he humorously noted, “Inflight Lax – PBI Loud Pop = Smashed Windshield.” He also reflected that this was only the second time he had experienced such a situation in 40 years of private flying. “I went back to being a professional and made sure everything was fine. I’m grateful for everything,” he added.

Norman included four photos from the unsettling experience, showing the crushed glass in the cockpit, which had exposed layers behind it.

The two-time major champion also posted images of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, along with a few shots of himself smiling with firefighters.

Norman has been relying on private jets for quite a while. In a past interview, he revealed how he once considered joining the Air Force before pursuing golf.

He purchased the Jetstar in 1988 for $1 million, expressing that flying it made him feel “like the king of the hills.”

Despite grappling with a fear of flying for years, including a terrifying incident back in 2012 when his plane malfunctioned while landing, he has stated that such experiences don’t overly concern him.

“No. It’s part of flying, driving a car, swimming in the ocean. It’s part of life,” he told Business Jet Journal. “When your number goes up, your number goes up.”

Norman, who enjoyed a remarkable run on the PGA Tour in the 1980s and 1990s, has won a total of 20 events throughout his career.

Recently, he stepped down from his role as CEO of Liv Golf, a position he held until he was replaced by Scott O’Neill last January.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of Liv Golf, acknowledged Norman’s significant contributions by saying, “When we launched Liv Golf, no one was more meaningful to lead an organization other than Greg Norman. We are grateful for everything he has done to establish, launch and grow our league. He has helped Liv succeed.”