Shark talk

Norman speaks on the anniversary of greatest triumph

In 1993, at Royal St. George's, site of this week's British Open, Greg Norman became the first Open champion to post four scores in the 60s (earlier on the final Sunday Ernie Els had actually earned the honor of being the first player to post four Open rounds in the 60s). Norman's week was like no other. His then-record score of 267 (66-68-69-64) came despite opening with a double bogey on the tournament's first hole and missing a 14-inch putt on the 71st green. His closing 64 belongs on a list of the best final rounds ever played in major-championship golf, and he needed it to outdistance a leaderboard filled with many of the game's top players -- Nick Faldo, Corey Pavin, Bernhard Langer, Nick Price and Els, among others. It was a dominating performance that offered the tantalizing promise of more major titles and proved Norman's unmatched resiliency as he climbed back from hitting rock bottom in '91 and '92, with the guidance of swing coach Butch Harmon, who helped him overhaul his powerful but sometimes-unreliable-under-pressure swing.

When I caught up with Norman recently, he'd just received clearance from his doctor to begin practicing golf. Back problems forced him to withdraw from the Buick Classic, and he had to take an anti-inflammatory injection. "I have some instability in my back," said Norman, who said his level of pain hit 9.5 on a scale of 10 on occasion. He didn't play a warmup tournament before the Open, but he will not miss a return to Royal St. George's, the site of his greatest major-championship victory. Norman said firmly, "I'll be there."

Here's part of our conversation:

Gary Van Sickle: Did you sense a big week when you arrived at Royal St. George's 10 years ago?

Greg Norman: Everything felt good that week, from Day 1 right on through Sunday. On the heels of what happened to me a couple of times with the Bob Tways and Larry Mizes of the world, and some other things, you start to question whether fate will let you perform at a level to win another major championship. Fate hadn't been kind to me from '86 to '93, but you've got to believe in your abilities and be confident. You can't ever live in the past. So I went in there feeling very, very good about my game, even though Royal St. George's wasn't one of my favorite golf courses. That actually might have helped me. Maybe I had to focus that much more. It's a very quirky course with a lot of humps and hollows, a lot of off-camber holes where the hole goes left and the fairway tilts right. You have a hard time feeling comfortable with some of your tee shots also because you don't have much to aim at -- the North Sea, the wild blue yonder, sometimes clouds.

Van Sickle: Did you feel your swing was at a higher level after revamping it with Butch Harmon?

Norman: No, my swing was so much better in the '80s. One thing Butch did do for me is helped me work on getting my ballflight down leading up to that British Open. I was starting to launch the ball a little bit too high in the late '80s and early '90s. He made an adjustment that shortened my swing tremendously compared to what it was in the '80s. I went into that British Open with it in mind to flight the ball a little lower. That allowed me to be more aggressive with my shots and it really paid dividends.

Van Sickle: How much did your rocky start set you back?

Norman: I took a double on the very first hole. Tony Navarro, my caddie, and I actually couldn't find the ball for quite a while in the deep rough. We finally did and I hacked it out, then hacked it out of the rough again, knocked it on the green and two-putted. I went to the second tee and told myself it was a 72-hole tournament, not a one-hole tournament, and not to get down. Just a few words of wisdom for myself. I treated the first hole like it never existed. Sometimes you can fall into the well and find a bucket of gold, sometimes you can't.

Van Sickle: Didn't you finish the first round with five straight birdies?

Norman: I think I did. I don't really remember. The memorable part of the week was the way I played Sunday.

Van Sickle: Anything else you recall about the early part of the week?

Norman: There was a strange wind on the driving range Friday afternoon -- left to right and down, about a 10 o'clock wind. I said to Butch, "I hate hitting balls into this wind, let's find somewhere else." I walked around all these huts to the right of the range -- I think they were manufacturers' tents or exhibition tents. There was one spot, it was dead quiet, no bleachers around. I walked back to Butch and told Tony to pick up the balls, I've got a great place. People probably wondered where the hell we were going. This spot was out of the wind and at a perfect angle. Butch and I had the most quiet, concentrated practice session for about 90 minutes ... until an R&A guy came around and said, "This isn't part of the golf course. You can't practice here." We said, "OK, we're out of here." For 90 minutes in that spot, every shot was focused. I distinctly remember that being a very important part of the tournament for me. My whole week was nice and calm and relaxed, and that epitomized it.

Van Sickle: You were one shot back behind Faldo and Pavin going into Sunday. How did you feel about your position?

Norman: I knew Nick Faldo had all the heat on him. He wasn't usually the type of player who made a lot of birdies; he's more of a guy who makes a lot of pars, and I knew a lot of pars wasn't going to win that tournament. It was a 40-minute drive to the course from the manor house where we stayed and I remember driving to the course with my wife, Laura. I was very relaxed. I told myself the same stuff I say on the golf course under pressure -- feel your fingers, make love to your hands. I told myself to grip the steering wheel very light, like you're going to grip the golf club today. That's how aware I was of my body's sensitivity.

Van Sickle: What about Sunday's final round? Do you recall starting out with a birdie on the first hole?

Norman: No, but I think I did. It seemed like the day went very fast. What hit me the most was my shot into No. 9. I hit a 9-iron in there about four or six inches -- even you could make the putt. I walked to the 10th tee, looked at the leaderboard for the first time and saw that I was in front. I said to myself, This is exactly what Larry Bird told me. He once told me there was no better feeling than being one point down with one or two seconds left on the clock and wanting the ball, wanting the final shot. That came rushing into my head on the 10th tee: This is what I wanted, the lead going to the last nine holes.

Van Sickle: You hit driver at the 14th hole even after Langer had just hit driver out of bounds. Did you reconsider your club selection?

Norman: I never watch the other player swing in competition. I look at the ball or the player's feet, but I never want to see the player's result, good or bad, or his reaction. I didn't know Bernhard hit it out of bounds. I walked right onto the tee after him, pegged it in and was so focused on the line I'd already picked out and visualized that I didn't want any distraction. I hit driver down the middle of the fairway and started walking when somebody said he'd hit it out of bounds -- oops, I had to back up. I didn't know, that's how focused I was.

Van Sickle: When did you realize the Open was in your grasp?

Norman: When I birdied the 16th hole, that was pretty much game, set and match. On the 17th green, I missed a very short putt from 14 inches because I was worried about Bernhard's line. Instead of marking my ball, I tried to step across real quick. I was out of balance, I moved and I missed the putt. Later, I heard Peter Jacobsen's comment on TV, "Here we go, he's going to do it again." It wasn't that at all. Never once did it enter my mind that I'd put myself in jeopardy.

Van Sickle: How satisfying was the walk up the 18th hole?

Norman: I hit two of the most solid shots back-to-back there all week, a great drive and a great 4-iron. I was really disappointed I didn't make the putt. I've been a friend and admirer of Bernhard's for a long time, and after I'd hit, he congratulated me and said, "That was fantastic golf." That meant a lot. I had another 180 yards to walk and he backed off slowly and let me walk ahead. Those are the moments you cherish.

Van Sickle: Was it a nice surprise to shake Gene Sarazen's hand at the awards ceremony?

Norman: It was special. Gene said that was the best golf he'd ever seen in his life. You don't get accolades like that too often. That was really something. I've got that picture of us shaking hands in my office. Gene signed it later and wrote a few words on it for me. I don't get autographs from too many people, but I cherish that one.

Van Sickle: When it was all over, did you really drive away, as one story reported, in a red Rolls Royce with the claret jug in the trunk?

Norman: No, it wasn't red, it was burgundy. A friend gave me his car to use for the week. We were ready to drive straight to the airport Sunday night, but the traffic was too bad, so I went to see the volunteers in the R&A tent for a while, then ended up in another tent where my friends had gathered. It took 2 1/2 hours for traffic to die down. When we got back to the plane, Raymond Floyd and his wife, Maria, were there. We had a party at 45,000 feet all the way back to Florida.

Van Sickle: You'd think traffic would part for the claret jug and a red Rolls Royce, wouldn't you?

Norman: It was burgundy!

Van Sickle: Sorry. How much would you have wagered that the '93 Open wouldn't be your last major championship?

Norman: Probably a lot [laughing.] When I think I've won only two, yeah, I would've bet I'd win a few more. I've given my best in the majors, but I didn't come out with any more trophies. In some other ways, though, I came out better off.

Van Sickle: Anything about the '93 Open you didn't like?

Norman: Yeah. I wore some of the most colorful clothes you could ever imagine. I still can't believe I wore that f------ shirt on Sunday. At least I had a vest on over it.

Mailbag

Enough chat. Time for the Mailbag:

Every time I see Michael Allen's name near the leaderboard I remember your U.S. Open local-qualifying playoff victory over this seasoned tour pro. Do you ever think you should take your game on tour rather than continue playing the golf writers' tour?
—Pete Wofford, Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Sure, Woof-doggy. As soon as some rich guy takes pity and hands me $200,000, no questions asked and no payback, I'll sign up for Q School. Sure, Tiger Woods looks tough. Let's see what he does when somebody like me starts throwing 83s at him.

Hey, I'm all for speeding up play, but a hard cutoff of 4 1/2 hours (or any other amount) doesn't work, especially for those of us who tend to play as singles. Why should I be penalized for being paired with slow players? I can only do so much to make perfect strangers play faster.
—Gregg Pasternack, Los Angeles

Relax, Paste Boy. The whole point of the deadline is that once it's in place, no one is going to miss it. And if your group does miss, you're allowed to point a finger at the offender. He'll be out, you'll be on temporary double-secret probation.

What tournaments has Tiger Woods won this year? The So-What Open, the Prune Juice Classic? Call me when he manages not to implode during a major tournament with all of the best players in the world in the field. In the meantime, Tiger lovers, hope you've enjoyed the ride because Tiger's days on top are just about over. The next Jack Nicklaus? He's not even the next Tom Watson.
—Richard, Turlock, Calif.

Ha-ha. ... Please. ... Sorry ... can't ... stop ... laughing. ... So ... stupid. ... Seriously. ...

Since you (and several others) claim that Tiger Woods is not in a slump, if the PGA season ended today, who would be Player of the Year? For the first time in a long time, that question is not a no-brainer.
—Wes Flynn, Apex, N.C.

The POY at this point is still Mike Weir, but now that Tiger has four wins, he's a close second and gaining fast. I think you know who's going to be the Player of the Year at the end of 2003. I look for Tiger to rack up eight wins this year, including the last two majors. Then you can tell me whether he's still in a slump.

It's about time for British Open predictions. What are yours? Also, I sometimes wonder whether majors are overemphasized in determining a player's overall talent (hard to place Andy North above Phil Mickelson, for example). What do you think?
—John Fetkovich, Kokomo, Ind.

Woods will be hard to beat, Fetko. Bet you haven't heard that before. I also like Ernie Els. He's just got the short game and the soft hands for those creative shots around the greens. Keep an eye on Jim Furyk and Mike Weir, believe it or not (they're not one-hit wonders). I may wager a few pounds on Justin Leonard. I also like low-ball-hitting Aussie Peter Lonard and English lad Justin Rose.

As for your second question, yes, majors are overweighted, but hell, they're the tournaments we remember. Is the Kentucky Derby overemphasized? Yes, but who remembers the fourth race at Pimlico from a month earlier?

I have a 14-handicap, a titanium driver, game-improvement irons and a multi-layer ball, yet I still can't conquer Yale Golf Club, which makes me wonder about Joe Average playing an old course like Yale with hickory shafts and a 10-compression ball, back when the course was new. Could an average golfer really play anywhere close to par back then? I can't imagine trying to play with that type of equipment.
—Bill S., Farmington, Conn.

As a former member and club champ at Yale Golf Club, I can assure you that it kicked the amateurs' butts even worse 60 years ago than it does now, which is still pretty bad. You can find me on a plaque on the wall in the Yale clubhouse with the rest of the men's club champions. I'm the blank space next to 1993. It's been only 10 years, and they can't seem to get around to putting my name on it (or the 1992 champ's name, either, last time I checked). I've written letters and made a few phone calls, to no avail. That's Yale. Things move slowly or, more typical, not at all. Oh, well.

On the PGA Tour, can players have a beer if they want one during a weather delay? Is there a rule on this?
—Liz, Tryon, N.C.

As John Daly might say, "Hell, yeah." No rules against beer, Liz. We're not in Russia anymore. How's Ty doing, by the way?

Love your work, but, um, there is an airport near Lemont. It's called Midway. It's been recently upgraded and modernized to attract bigwigs like you. So give it a shot next time you're flying into the South Side of the city.
—Darren Hollingsworth, Chicago

I'm glad Midway is near Lemont, site of the Western Open. While somewhat closer than O'Hare, it's still nowhere near Olympia Fields. Also, I don't like flying the Sopwith Camels that go in and out of Midway (unless they let me man the machine gun in back and keep an eye out for the Red Baron).

I noticed your comments on laser-range finders. Are you aware of any clubs in the U.S. that have GPS systems on their golf carts? A club here in London (Forest City National) uses them and they really speed up play. If you park your cart beside your ball, it will tell you the exact distance to the hole, to the back of the green, to the front of the green or to any bunkers, with wind direction and wind speed. It will even keep score for you. We can usually play 18 holes in about 3 1/2 to four hours.
—Mark B., London, Ontario

Dozens, if not hundreds, of clubs use GPS systems, B-Man, including my own home course near Pittsburgh, Treesdale Golf & Country Club. Range finders would be preferable since they're easier to carry than a golf cart for those of us who'd rather walk.

Any thoughts on the rule that requires golfers to use the same type of ball throughout a round? If pros were allowed to change balls on each shot (as bowlers can), what do you think they would do? Would they whack a Top-Flite (or should I say, a Callaway) off the tee and then hit to the green with a Maxfli HT or Titleist Tour Balata? Or if they were hitting to the 17th green at Valderrama, would they opt for the Top-Flite? At the very least, changing the rule would certainly make the pros think a bit more about their balls, and wouldn't that be a good thing? Also, any chance of this one-ball rule being changed any time soon?
—John Humphrey, Mankato, Minn.

Guess you weren't around for the '70s, Hubert, because that's exactly what happened before the one-ball rule went into effect. It was a travesty -- guys switching balls on every tee, depending on the wind or the length of the hole. No way that rule gets changed now, nor should it.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle writes for the magazine's Golf Plus section and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.

 

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