Photo: © William West/AFP/Getty Images | | Birkdale brought Greg Norman back into the spotlight. |
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Even now, a week removed from events at Royal Birkdale, it’s a difficult thing to put into proper perspective. That a 53-year old man could be capable of playing golf well enough to lead an Open Championship deep into the final round is notable enough, of course. But there was even more to it than that. This 53-year old wasn’t even someone who had kept his game relatively sharp on the old farts tour. Before arriving in Southport, Greg Norman had played only 15 competitive rounds this year.
So, just to be sure we have this straight, in an arena where even the youngest, strongest and bravest routinely falter, a middle-aged man with a bad back, multiple surgeries behind him and six years removed from anything like a full schedule of tournament play, almost won the biggest championship in a sport he no longer takes anything like seriously. No wonder he leapt up a record number 480-places on the world-ranking list.
However one chooses to look at it though, I’m impressed.
And so it seems, was almost everyone else. By his own count, Norman received “between 500 and 700” e-mails and texts from friends and admirers around the world. But the best one came from an old nemesis, Seve Ballesteros. The Spaniard – two years younger than Norman and retired since last year’s Open at Carnoustie – wrote to say how much he had enjoyed the old-style and sadly almost obsolete shot-making display put on by the Australian. From a golfing genius like Seve, that was high praise indeed.
Photo: © Richard Heathcote/Getty Images | | Greg Norman couldn't get anything going at Troon this week. |
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And how.
Inevitably, arriving at Royal Troon for the Senior Open Championship had to be something of an anti-climax, especially for someone trying to rebound from what was ultimately disappointing. Despite all the hoop-la, in the end, of course, Greg Norman didn’t win at Birkdale.
“It really hurts,” he admitted. “Deep down, it hurts, no question. When you’re a sportsman in the arena, no matter how old or young you are, and you squander an opportunity, you feel it.”
Still, for Norman as for everyone else who has endured a sporting loss, life goes on. Only a couple of hours after completing his opening 75 at Troon, he was at Turnberry, scene of his first Open victory back in 1986. Accompanied by David Spencer, the chief executive of Leisurecorp, Norman toured the back-nine on the Ailsa course with a view to recommending changes that will be implemented immediately after the Open Championship returns to the famous links for a fourth time next year. Leisurecorp, who recently purchased the Turnberry resort, have also employed Norman to design the ‘Earth” course that will host the climax to next year’s ‘Road to Dubai’ on the European Tour.
Photo: © Thanks to Greg Norman design company | | Greg Norman is has comfortable with a set of design plans as he is with golf clubs. |
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It was an eventful and sometimes amusing couple of hours. As usual, Turnberry was busy catering to the golfing needs of visiting Americans, most of who offered sincere congratulations and/or condolences to Norman as he walked by. (Not one, by the way, managed to hit even a half-decent shot watched by the former world number one. Bad technique combined with unheard of pressure invariably produces ineptitude). Most of them wanted photographs too.
All of which was fine. Dressed in t-shirt and shorts, Norman was at least halfway to being off-duty and was happy to oblige. He is also the master of meaningless small talk.
Eventually, however, we came across a four-ball made up of Scotsmen. Their reaction to the famous face in their midst was slightly different. Instead of mindless platitudes, Norman was suddenly subjected to a more earthy form of banter. Best of all was the worthy who told the Shark that his closing 77 at Birkdale had “cost me a tenner (£10).” To which Norman shot back: “That’s nothing, it cost me f---ing millions.”
As for what he is likely to do to the course over which he shot one of his finest ever rounds – a second round 63 en route to victory in ’86 – Norman was quick to say it was too soon to get into too many specifics. But it would come as no surprise to this observer if the magnificent par-4 10th hole has a new green back and slightly to the left of its present location some time in early 2010. A third bunker in the centre of the fairway is likely too.
Photo: © Robert Cianflone/Getty Images | | Greg Norman is always on the go these days |
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“At least one third of next year’s field will be able to fly their drives 300 yards through the air downwind,” explained the Shark. “A third bunker would be the ‘final deterrent’ to them going for the carry over everything.”
More drastically, the short 11th (the weakest hole on the course) would also appear to be living on borrowed time. Again back and to the left – this time maybe 70 yards – of the present green sits an obvious site for a new putting surface that could be the climax to either a spectacular par-3 across the corner of the coastline or an equally interesting short par-4. As course superintendent George Brown said: “there’s a green up there just waiting to be built.”
While he was too diplomatic to say as much, one got the feeling that Norman was less than impressed with the work already done on the Ailsa’s closing three holes. Under the direction of the R&A’s chief executive, Peter Dawson, the 16th fairway has been moved 50 yards left of its previous location and new tees have been built at each of the last two holes. Brown had apparently wanted to leave the 17th alone and call it a par-4, but the man from St. Andrews would have none of it.
Then again, maybe Brown had a point. Although Dawson was understandably quick to hail the changes “a great success” in the immediate aftermath of the recent British Amateur Championship, it would perhaps have been more professional of the press pack in attendance to ask some of the players what they thought. Especially those unfortunate individuals who, unable to reach the fairway into an admittedly strong wind at the long 17th, took ten or more shots to eventually hole out.
“The R&A have obviously recognized that some adjustments to the course are required if it is to stand up to the technology available to the players nowadays,” said Norman, ever the diplomat. “It’s interesting how, when you look at it from a player’s perspective, you see things differently than you might do on a plan. Some of what they have done I might have done a bit differently. But that is what my eye sees; I see it from a player’s perspective as well as an architect’s.”
Photo: © AFP/Getty Images | | Life is different now that Norman is married to former Tennis star Chris Evert |
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Anyway, all of the above is but one example of just what goes on in the life of Greg Norman these days. Even in the middle of a so-called ‘senior major’ he was being pulled away from his own golf and into the world of business that has largely been his home these last few years. I’m sure the likes of PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has some MBA-speak/jibberish for such a phenomena. Somet hing along the lines of ‘compartmentalising the brand’ or ‘multiplying the platform.’
One day later, however, Norman was interested and motivated enough to shoot a one-over par 72 over a bouncy and breezy Royal Troon to comfortably make the cut and leave him on the fringe of contention. An eagle-par-birdie finish can’t have hurt his mood either.
Still, you just never know with these temperamental superstar types. After completing an immaculate bogey-free third round of 67 that hauled him up to a tie for sixth spot, Norman was interviewed by Sky Television. It was a chat that was both short and sour, the Australian’s mood suddenly less than friendly. Exactly why remains a mystery. Seconds later, Norman enjoyed a perfectly convivial discourse with the guy from the Golf Channel.
Anyway, the bottom line was that Norman ended up seven shots behind the third round leader, John Cook, with 18 holes to play. Back in 1989, the Shark had started the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Troon in exactly the same position, before shooting 64 to get into a play-off with Mark Calcavecchia and Wayne Grady.
Given his position, five birdies in the first seven holes of his final round was just the sort of start Norman needed. But even that wasn’t enough – not even close – as Cook made four birdies of his own before the turn. By the time Norman failed to make birdie at the long 16th, his race was run. And a double-bogey at the short 17th, courtesy of a terrible lie in a greenside bunker, confirmed as much.
After a par at the last and another very brief chat with his close friends from Sky, Norman was off, people to meet, places to go and, no doubt, contracts to sign.
And no, he hadn’t made his mind up about playing in the PGA.
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Editors note: On Monday Greg Norman took a pass and won't play in the PGA Championship
