Reliving Greg Norman's Masters collapse, moment by excruciating moment

Everybody knows the broad outlines: Greg Norman, Augusta, 1996, with a huge third-round lead that gave way to the most famous and most excruciating collapse in golf history.

With time, though, you can forget the little details that filled in the color, and ultimately provide the context as to why this was such an earth-shattering moment in golf history.

For instance, do you know the depth of the heartbreak he experienced before he ever came to that Masters? Do you know what the English writer said to him on Saturday night that rattled him to his core? Do you know what events in his childhood, particularly his relationship with his father, might have telegraphed this moment? Do you know what happened between Norman and Butch Harmon that worried his coach to such a degree on Sunday morning? Do you remember where we were in 1996, both within the golf world and in culture at large?

Do you remember how cringe-inducing the entire saga was? How sad? How funny?

In dissecting this fascinating chapter, this week’s debut episode of The 50 Things podcast goes into all that and so much more to paint a complete, vivid picture of the Norman collapse. You can listen at Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app, or you can watch it on YouTube here.

The 50 Things That Changed Golf podcast is hosted by Shane Ryan and Jamie Kennedy, and this is our first episode. There’s nothing quite like a deep dive, and each of our episodes will plunge to the depths to bring you the critical events that have shaped golf history. You can join us every two weeks for a walk back in time, with some humor, a few fake awards, and a bit of insight mixed in.