Norman, Bush, Clinton To Play For Tsunami Relief

AAP
January 18, 2005

What do you do when you're Greg Norman and your good friend Bill Clinton announces to the media a secret tsunami charity project you are working on?

"He's the former President of the United States," a laughing Norman said. "He can say and do whatever he wants."

Former World No. 1 Norman, Clinton and another former U.S. President, George H. W. Bush, will stage a charity golf event at a Florida course in March. News of the project broke last week while Clinton was speaking to the media.

The fine details of the fundraiser, which Norman expects will raise at least $2 million for victims of last month's Asian tsunami tragedy, are yet to be finalized.

"The title of it is: Three Friends: One Goal," Norman said.

Norman, in Los Angeles Monday for an Australia Week golf event, had a good laugh when he spoke about how Clinton unexpectedly went public with the charity event.

"President Clinton came out and slipped with it last week during a press conference and I think it (the news) went back to Australia," Norman said. "It caught us by surprise."

Norman said it was too early to say which other golfers, celebrities and dignitaries would be involved, although he said both Clinton and Bush would be hitting the links.

"We will raise millions," Norman said. "We will probably end up raising in excess of $2 million in one day. To get both presidents in one location on a golf course together is unique, and that's the beauty of their commitment to this effort as well."

Norman is close friends with Clinton and Bush, and when he heard the two former presidents were spearheading a U.S. fundraising campaign for tsunami relief, the golfer called them with his idea.