NATIONAL BESTSELLER
From his work with Tiger Woods and Greg Norman to his thoughts on golf’s current money-grab era, golf superagent Hughes Norton presents a rollicking tell-all that “takes you inside the room with some of golf’s biggest personalities for some never-before-heard stories” (Chris Solomon, host of No Laying Up).
When twenty-one-year-old Tiger Woods stunned the world by winning The Masters by a mind-blowing twelve strokes, the first thing he did was embrace the three most important people in his life: his father, his mother, and Hughes Norton.
At the peak of his career, agent Norton earned a million-dollar salary, flew to all corners of the world in first class, and enjoyed a lifestyle nearly as lavish as his A-list clients. That dizzying success, however, came at a high price. The seventy-hour work weeks, constant travel, and intense pressure—both from his players and their corporate partners—took Norton away from his family and ultimately led to divorce. At the same time, to protect his players and his career, he found himself making ethical and moral choices he would later regret. Soon, he realized he had made as many enemies as friends.
Now, in Rainmaker, Norton offers “the most amazing ‘behind the curtain’ view ever written about the world of sports management” (Jim Nantz, CBS Sports). With exclusive insights, he discusses what it was like being Tiger’s first agent, his time representing the narcissistic Greg Norman, and shining a bright light on his sudden—and controversial—ouster as the head of IMG’s Golf Division—a juggernaut he helped build. This is an engaging and unforgettable memoir that explores golf as never before.
Industry Reviews
"Norton's very engaging memoir provides a revealing glimpse into the cutthroat world of a sports agent, an insider's perspective on the evolution of professional golf, and colorful anecdotes about the personalities he met throughout his storied career." --Booklist
"Hughes Norton ushered in an unprecedented era of monetary growth in the golf world, and isn't shy about telling tales along the way! Rainmaker takes you inside the room with some of golf's biggest personalities for some never heard before stories. It's such a breeze to read, you'll want to start the whole thing over again as soon as you're done."
--Chris Solomon, host of No Laying Up podcast
"In the 1980's and 1990's, Hughes Norton was golf's 'Jerry Maguire'. Hughes and I were adversaries as he was committed to maximizing his client's value and I was committed to controlling company costs. There was no brighter light bulb in the room than Hughes Norton -- intelligent, tenacious, and always well prepared. Hughes was "the man" and with this came a bullseye on his back. Rainmaker is a compelling read: the agent who for over two decades in the golf industry made it rain for his clients, his firm and for himself."
--Wally Uihlein, retired CEO of the Acushnet Company (Titleist & Footjoy)
"This book really hacks me off. This is all the delicious, inside Tiger Woods stuff that writers like me were dying for. Thanks for nothing, Hughes."
--Rick Reilly
"This is the most amazing 'behind the curtain' view ever written about the world of sports management. Hughes was the guru to some of the greatest golfers in the world--it wasn't by accident."
--Jim Nantz, CBS Sports
"Wow, what a read--an inside look at pro golf and the players who have dominated it, from Palmer and Nicklaus to Norman and Tiger and everyone in between. No one knows better than Hughes Norton how golf evolved from a mom-and-pop operation to the behemoth it is today, and he spares no one in telling his story, including himself. This book may rankle a few people, but it's all the truth."
--Curtis Strange
