1976-81. The early years.
| Greg Norman won the Westlakes Classic in just his fourth tournament
after turning professional in 1976 but,remarkably,he had not even picked
a golf club up just four years earlier. It took the young Norman less
than two years to reach scratch and it was clear to see that here was a
wonderful talent. He won his first European Tour event when capturing
the Martini International of 1977 and that year was also successful at
the Kuzuhz International in Japan. The next couple of years saw the
Queenslander winning various tournaments in Australia and he also
enjoyed success in Fiji,Europe and Hong Kong. In 1980 Norman enjoyed by
far and away his best year yet and was victorious on no less than six
occasions. He led the way in the European Order of Merit with a total of
£74,828 finishing ahead of such leading lights as Lyle,Ballesteros and
Faldo in the process. Amongst those wins were the French Open,where he
won by 10 clear shots thanks to rounds of 67,66,68 & 67,and the
Scandinavian Open where he shot a closing round 64 in a late charge that
was to become something of a trademark as his career progressed. The
year of 1981 saw Norman finish in a highly creditable 4th place in his
first appearance at the Masters,just three strokes behind the winner Tom
Watson,and he also performed well at the PGA Championship where he tied
for 5th in a tournament won by Larry Nelson. There was also a third
success at the Martini International and he carried off the Dunlop
Masters by four strokes with a total of 15 under par. (David Scranage) |
Greg pictured on July 15th. 1986. Photo George Herringshaw. ©
1982-86. Open glory at Turnberry in 1986
|
Norman retained his Dunlop Masters title in 1982 with a quite superb
display,his rounds of 68,69,65 & 65 leaving him at 17 under par and a
whole 8 shots clear of his nearest rival. He added the State Express
Classic and B&H International Open to his list of tournament
victories and topped the Order of Merit for the second time in three
years,totalling £66,405. There was also a useful performance at the PGA
Championship where he finished tied for 5th on three under par,five
strokes back on the winner Ray Floyd. Norman won on three occasions in
Australia in 1983 as well as the Hong Kong Open,the Cannes Invitational
& the Suntory World Match Plan Championship but there were no
challenges in the majors. The following year saw the Australian go so
close to that elusive first major only to be beaten in a play-off at the
US Open by Fuzzy Zoeller. Norman joined Zoeller at four under par but
his disappointing round of 75 the following day was bettered by eight
strokes by his American rival. 1985 was something of a disappointment
for the Australian but he bounced back in '86 to stunning effect. He
topped the US money lists with a record $653,296 and finally tasted
success in a major with victory in the Open at Turnberry. His triumph
owed much to a blistering second round 63 which equalled the
championship record and his even par total was five strokes clear of his
nearest challenger. Norman had already come agonizingly close to
victory at the Masters earlier that year,denied only by a remarkable
closing round 65 by Jack Nicklaus,and he was also to go close in the PGA
Championship. His runner-up position,two shots behind Bob Tway,was
mainly due to his poor final round 76. So 1986 was indeed a great year
for Greg Norman but,on reflection,it could have been even better. (David
Scranage)
|
Greg Norman picture in the summer of 1988. Image G. Herringshaw. ©
1987-89. Play-off agony at Masters & Open.
|
It was always going to be difficult to follow on from the excellent year
of 1986 and so it proved for Greg Norman as he failed to win a
tournament in '87. That is not to say that he had a bad year,however,as
his seventh place in the US money list with a total of $535,450 goes to
show! There was heartbreak once again at the Masters where he was denied
by Larry Mize in a play-off after the pair and Seve Ballesteros had
finished the four rounds all square at three under par. Ballesteros fell
by the wayside after the first sudden death hole and Mize then produced
a moment of pure inspiration at the second extra hole,chipping in from
140 feet to claim the Green Jacket just when it had seemed advantage
Norman. There were four victories in his homeland the following year as
well as the Italian Open and a tie for fifth in the Masters thanks to a
splendid closing round 64 in a tournament won by Scotland's Sandy Lyle.
There was more play-off torment for Norman in the 1989 Open at Troon as
Mark Calcavecchia prevailed in a four hole play-off which also featured
Norman's fellow Australian Wayne Grady. Norman had staged one of those
famous last round charges with a thrilling 64 to draw level but yet
again he was to be denied at the final hurdle. Earlier that year he had
gone close once more in the Masters where Nick Faldo produced a superb
closing round 65 to snatch the title with Norman tied for third just one
stroke back despite his closing effort of 67. (David Scranage)
|
Greg Norman picture on 18th. July 1993 with the Claret Jug. Photo Stuart Franklin. © G.H.
1990-94. Second Open captured in 1993
| Norman won both the Doral-Ryder Open and the Memorial Tournament on his
way to topping the US money list with a total of $1,165,477 in 1990 and
in the Open at St. Andrews he finished in a creditable 6th place. He
carded an 11 under par total but was left ruing his third round 76 as
the imperious Nick Faldo lifted the old claret jug at 18 under. The next
couple of years were fairly barren for the Queenslander but in 1993 he
bounced back in magnificent fashion to claim victory in the Open
Championship at Sandwich. There was no disappointing round this time for
Norman as he shot an excellent 64 on the final day to go along with his
66,68 & 69 from the previous three days to finish two strokes clear
of Faldo at 13 under par. Norman produced a fine display at the PGA
Championship the following month but,astonishingly,he was to miss out in
a play-off yet again. His rounds of 68,68,67 & 69 left him at 12
under par and tied with Paul Azinger but it was the American who held
his nerve to claim his first major. He enjoyed another fine year in 1994
and won the prestigious TPC event on his way to finishing second in the
money list behind Zimbabwe's Nick Price with a total of $1,330,307.
There was also a useful performance at the PGA Championship,where he
finished at 3 under par,but he never really threatened the runaway
winner Price who carded an 11 under total. (David Scranage) |
Greg Norman in action on 15th. July 1999. Photo G. Herringshaw. ©
1995 onwards. Heartbreak at 1996 Masters.
| There was yet more major near misses for Greg Norman in 1995 as the
Australian finished third in the Masters and second in the US Open. In
the Masters his eleven under par total was bettered by three strokes by
Ben Crenshaw and in the US Open at Shinnecock Hills,New York he was two
shots back on Corey Pavin at even par. It was a case of what might have
been,however,as Norman closed the tournament with rounds of 74 & 73
after opening efforts of 68 & 67 had put him firmly in the driving
seat. That year was another fine one on the U.S. Tour and there were
victories at the Memorial Tournament,Canon Greater Hartford Open and NEC
World Series of Golf on his way to finishing leading money winner with a
total of $1,654,959. The 1996 Masters saw Norman open up in sensational
style with a 63 and further rounds of 69 & 71 meant he went into
the final day six shots clear. It proved to be a day to forget for the
Queenslander though as he fell away with a 78 leaving the way clear for
Nick Faldo to claim his third Green Jacket. Since that heartbreaking
defeat the nearest Norman has come to a major was the 1999 Masters where
he finished in third place three strokes behind the champion Jose-Maria
Olzazabal. There is no doubting that a player of Norman's tremendous
ability should have won more than the two major championships that he
has to his name and if he fails to do so it would be a great shame for
he is,without question,a real favourite with the fans. He holds the
unenviable record of being the only man to lose play-offs in all four
majors and ranks as,arguably, the unluckiest golfer of all time. (David
Scranage) |
PGA TOUR WINS (20)
1 3 Jun 1984 Kemper Open −8 (68-68-71-73=280) 5 strokes Mark O'Meara
2 1 Jul 1984 Canadian Open −10 (73-68-70-67=278) 2 strokes Jack Nicklaus
3 4 May 1986 Panasonic Las Vegas −27 (73-63-68-64-65=333) 7 strokes Dan Pohl
4 1 Jun 1986 Kemper Open −11 (72-69-70-66=277) Playoff Larry Mize
5 20 Jul 1986 The Open Championship Even (74-63-74-69=280) 5 strokes Gordon J. Brand
6 17 Apr 1988 MCI Heritage Golf Classic −13 (65-69-71-66=271) 1 stroke David Frost, Gil Morgan
7 20 Aug 1989 The International 13 points (5-4-11-13) 2 points Clarence Rose
8 3 Sep 1989 Greater Milwaukee Open −19 (64-69-66-70=269) 3 strokes Andy Bean
9 4 Mar 1990 Doral-Ryder Open −15 (68-73-70-62=273) Playoff Tim Simpson, Mark Calcavecchia, Paul Azinger
10 13 May 1990 Memorial Tournament Even (73-74-69=216) 1 stroke Payne Stewart
11 13 Sep 1992 Canadian Open −8 (73-66-71-70=280) Playoff Bruce Lietzke
12 7 Mar 1993 Doral-Ryder Open −23 (65-68-62-70=265) 4 strokes Paul Azinger, Mark McCumber
13 18 Jul 1993 The Open Championship −13 (66-68-69-64=267) 2 strokes Nick Faldo
14 27 Mar 1994 The Players Championship −24 (63-67-67-67=264) 4 strokes Fuzzy Zoeller
15 4 Jun 1995 Memorial Tournament −19 (66-70-67-66=269) 4 strokes Mark Calcavecchia, David Duval, Steve Elkington
16 25 Jun 1995 Canon Greater Hartford Open −13 (67-64-65-71=267) 2 strokes Dave Stockton, Kirk Triplett, Grant Waite
17 27 Aug 1995 NEC World Series of Golf −2 (73-68-70-67=278) Playoff Billy Mayfair, Nick Price
18 3 Mar 1996 Doral-Ryder Open −19 (67-69-67-66=269) 2 strokes Michael Bradley, Vijay Singh
19 29 Jun 1997 FedEx St. Jude Classic −16 (68-65-69-66=268) 1 stroke Dudley Hart
20 24 Aug 1997 NEC World Series of Golf −7 (68-68-70-67=273) 4 strokes Phil Mickelson.
EUROPEAN TOUR WINS (14).
1 11 Jun 1977 Martini International −15 (70-71-70-66=277) 3 strokes Simon Hobday
2 28 May 1979 Martini International E (75-67-72-74=288) 1 stroke Antonio Garrido, John Morgan
3 11 May 1980 Paco Rabanne Open de France −20 (67-66-68-67=268) 10 strokes Ian Mosey
4 6 Jul 1980 Scandinavian Enterprise Open −12 (76-66-70-64=276) 3 strokes Mark James
5 17 May 1981 Martini International −1 (71-72-72-72=287) 1 stroke Bernhard Langer
6 31 May 1981 Dunlop Masters −15 (72-68-66-67=273) 4 strokes Graham Marsh
7 13 Jun 1982 Dunlop Masters −17 (68-69-65-65=267) 8 strokes Bernhard Langer
8 10 Jul 1982 State Express English Classic −13 (70-70-70-69=279) 1 stroke Brian Marchbank
9 22 Aug 1982 Benson & Hedges International −5 (69-74-69-71=283) 1 stroke Bob Charles, Graham Marsh, Ian Woosnam
10 20 Jul 1986 The Open Championship E (74-63-74-69=280) 5 strokes Gordon J Brand
11 14 Sep 1986 Panasonic European Open −11 (67-67-69-66=269) Playoff Ken Brown
12 22 May 1988 Lancia Italian Open −18 (69-68-63-70=270) 1 stroke Craig Parry
13 18 Jul 1993 The Open Championship −13 (66-68-69-64=267) 2 strokes Nick Faldo
14 6 Feb 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic −11 (75-70-64-68=277) 1 stroke Fred Couples