Norman to separate from wife, says report

SYDNEY, May 18: Australian golfer Greg Norman and his American wife Laura are to separate after 25 years of marriage, the Sydney Morning Herald reported today.

The 51-year-old former world number one told the newspaper that divorce proceedings had already begun and that the couple would remain friends.

''Laura and I will be getting a divorce and both of us obviously want to have our privacy protected,'' Norman told the Herald.

''It's not the nicest of things to go through, and I'll be saying 'no comment' from here on in response to any specific questions.

''We are going to do this amicably. We both want to do it amicably. That's the best way of going about it and, absolutely, we will remain friends.'' Norman, whose 86 professional tour victories include the 1986 and 1993 British Opens, met Laura in 1979 when she was working as an airline attendant. They got married in 1981.

The couple have two children, a 24-year-old daughter and a 20-year-old son, who both live and study in the United States.

Reuters