Norman: President George H.W. Bush told me not to pre-judge President Clinton

NAPLES, Fla. – Greg Norman’s friendship with President Bill Clinton almost didn’t happen.

After attending the Washington D.C. memorial service for President George H.W. Bush, Norman was at the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on Thursday, and said it was Bush who insisted Norman put aside his conservative leanings and accept President Clinton’s offer to play golf.

“President Clinton, his second year, first term, was going down to Australia,” said Norman, the tournament host this week, “and I got a call from the White House saying, ‘President Clinton's going to be in Australia and he would like to play golf with you.’ I said, ‘I'll check my schedule.’

“I didn't even say I would do it,” Norman said, laughing. “Because I'm more Republican-leaning, conservative-leaning, my views are a little bit different. I prejudged President Clinton on what I had read and what I had heard. So, the first call I made was to President Bush 41.”

The two were friends and had played golf together numerous times, and Norman wanted some direction on what to do with the Clinton invite.

“‘I'm not too sure whether I want to play with President Clinton,’” Norman said, recounting his part of the conversation with Bush. “‘I'm not too sure whether I'm fond of his’ blah, blah, blah. (Bush) stopped me mid-sentence and he said, ‘You will go play and respect the office of the President of the United States.’”

Norman smiled. “I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ That was it. From that moment on I promised myself I would never prejudge anybody again, because when I did play with President Clinton in Australia, we hit it off and we're friends today.

“Forgetting what political position and political views you have, he's a human being, he's a great human being,” Norman added. “He's a good person to be around. So, I thank 41 for that because I probably would have gone on through the rest of my life holding judgment out on people, which you should never do.”