A sports documentary about famed Australian golfer Greg Norman, “Shark”, will finally make its debut in Australia on ESPN this month after the network bumped the flick from its schedule.
ESPN first announced April 5 at its premiere date for “Shark” in February, but today confirmed it will air April 20 on ESPN with an encore on ESPN2
“Shark” is part of ESPN’s Emmy award-winning “30 for 30” series.
The film chronicles Norman’s legendary collapse at the 1996 Masters. Variety understands it was pushed back to follow the network’s coverage of the Masters. But the decision to reschedule has also been linked to a controversial campaign by the Saudi government-backed golf league, fronted by Norman, that hopes to rival the PGA Tour.
The documentary was directed by Jason Hehir (“The Last Dance,” “The Fab Five”) and Thomas Odelfelt for ESPN Films.
Some 25 years after Norman’s infamous collapse at the Masters, he returned to Augusta with the filmmakers to relive the worst day of his golfing career. It’s a moment in sports history that will never be forgotten.
Hehir believes Norman is one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game.
“There are places in sports that have such a mystique that they can forever shape the way we remember an athlete. Augusta National is one of those places,” Hehir said when the documentary was first announced.
“Two-time major winner, 331 weeks at world #1, leading money winner in PGA history pre-Tiger, one of the few indelible players of his era. But despite all his success, he’s perhaps remembered most for his failure at the Masters, particularly his excruciating collapse on the final Sunday in 1996.
“I was excited for the opportunity to tell the story of one man’s career through the prism of such a sacred site, and to examine the power of one place to mould a man’s legacy, for better or worse.”
Norman spent 331 weeks as the world’s top ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors.
“Shark” will premiere April 20 at 7:30 p.m. AEST on ESPN, with an encore screening at 9:00 p.m. AEST on ESPN2.