Tiger Woods’ former agent opens up on ‘worst part’ of relationship with golfer
Tiger Woods’ first agent, Hughes Norton, has criticised his former client’s social skills despite not speaking to the 15-time major winner since being sacked by him.
Hughes represented Woods for two years from the summer of 1996, with their formal relationship starting as the 20-year-old turned professional. He had first met Woods and his father Earl, who he employed at IMG as a junior talent scout seven years earlier.
The superagent worked for a who’s who of golfing greats, notably calling Greg Norman a client for 11 years. Hughes secured Woods record-setting sponsorship deals at the start of their time together but never worked again, as his sacking soon led to IMG following suit.
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Woods stayed with the sports agency and began being represented by Mark Steinberg, who remains his agent. Hughes, however, was sworn to secrecy for a decade as part of his substantial payoff and could not compete against the company.
He never returned to that line of work but has now opened up on that time in his recently-released memoir ‘ Rainmaker ‘. Hughes does not hold back when recalling the split with Woods.
“The worst part honestly was that there was no explanation,” Norton told Today’s Golfer. “It’s just so bizarre the way Tiger severs relationships with people in his life, whether it’s caddies or girlfriends or managers. I would love to sit down with Tiger today and say, ‘Flashback 25 years, what was the reason?
