Norman has nothing left to prove
Posted: Sunday, July 20, 2008 10:10 AM
I yell at the TV a lot. I was at it again Sunday morning, inspired by the sage advice being offered Greg Norman by the analysts in the booth.
There were a mob of them on the broadcast, led by Tom Watson and Paul Azinger, both of whom were awfully good golfers. They're both pretty good guys. Still, I wanted to strangle them for their criticism of Norman.
They kept berating him for his club selection: No, Greg! Don't hit that driver! Hit an iron off the tee! Play it safe!
If this were the man who was still known as the Shark 12 years ago at Augusta, I would have agreed with them. That was the day Norman hocked up a six-stroke lead and lost the Masters to Nick "Fairways and Greens" Faldo. He played dumb that day, trying to make perfect shots when all he had to do was play smart.
The lead I wrote on my column after he lost was along the lines of: Watching Greg Norman tee it up in the final round of the Masters was like watching Janet Leigh get into the shower. (The line was provided by a Golf Digest writer who would probably want to remain anonymous. Being obliged to be nice to everybody, he couldnt use it and told me to go for it.)
He was 41 back then and still the best golfer on the planet. We had a right to get on him, especially with his record of losing majors in spectacular ways.
Its 12 years later and Norman is 53. When you get to that age and find yourself in the lead of a major against all expectations, including your own, you've got a right to play the course any damned way you like. If he wants to hit his putter off the tee, let him.
He no longer has to please anyone. He has nothing more to prove, nothing to lose, and nothing to apologize for. Win or lose, let him do it his way. And if he wanted to do his Janet Leigh impression, let him. When you qualify for AARP membership, you stop having to worry about what other people think.
I understand what the boys and girls in the booth were doing. Its their job to tell other people what to do. All of us in this business tell very successful people not only how to behave, but also how to play the games that we can play half as well as they do. Sometimes, we happen to be right. Sunday, the mob in the ABC booth at Royal Birkdale was dead wrong about Greg Norman.
There was even at least one occasion where they wailed piteously about Normans choice of driver that put him in the fescue. When his playing partner, Padraig Harrington, took an iron off the tee and put his shot in the hay, as well, they didnt say a word. They especially didn't say that no matter what you hit in that wind tunnel of a golf course you can still get in trouble.
I enjoyed the heck out of Norman's improbable run at the British Open. I never thought for a minute he'd win, and I didn't care. It was just fun watching an old guy whod just found a lot of happiness in his personal life find a little spark of what he used to be.
When he was young and the best talent on Tour, he could be an arrogant twit. A lot of people didn't like him. He came back mellow and content and just happy to be here. And he gave us one more thrilling show.
Some people who care more for personalities than the game wondered what would be the purpose of watching the British Open without Tiger Woods in the field. Greg Norman provided the answer.
Be grateful for the show he put on. And quit telling him how to play the game.
