Greg Norman Weighs In On Tiger

I enjoyed Greg Norman’s career on the PGA Tour back in the day. He was from my generation and for a few years was the best golfer in the world. Plus he idolized Jack Nicklaus and during one brief period, even tried to emulate Jack’s physical approach to the game, which included his pre-shot routine up to his waggle.

Norman grew out of that and ultimately became the heartbreak-kid, because he found a multitude of ways to lose and/or get beat in major championships. Actually that’s not quite fair. The only tournament he reallly choked in was the 1996 Masters, and he was leaking oil so bad coming home that even Nick Faldo (eventual winner) felt bad for him.

The other thing about Norman is that he’s always been outspoken, and usually speaks with class and composure. However, he recently made some comments about Tiger Woods dominance, and quite frankly, it chapped my hide.

Among his quotes: “Players need to bring the spirit back,” Norman said. “There have always been great players to bring people to the game to lighten it up so that it’s not so serious. “Look at what (Rafael) Nadal has done for tennis because of the way he is, like a boxer. You never hear anyone coming out and saying I want to beat Tiger Woods – I haven’t heard that,” Norman added. “Nadal comes out and says he wants to beat Roger Federer because he’s No. 1 and that’s great for tennis.”

Now I’m not sure what he meant by the first part of that quote, but it implies that Woods is taking the game too seriously? Give me a break Norman. Woods does take the game seriously, which is why he’s won 12 majors, and Mr. Norman won one (1). Back in his day, I never heard his peers talking about “wanting to beat Greg Norman”, so where does that come from? Yes, Tiger is dominating now, but I don’t think for a moment that other players are “laying down” so Tiger can win.

Another gem: “I have a problem with someone winning a golf tournament without using a driver,” Norman said. “The game has always been dominated by power-hitter players, but today you can’t tell the difference between the players because of the technology.”

Again, the first part of his quote is total rubbish. Tiger gave a clinic at the Open Championship by keeping his driver in the bag, which forced him to hit more difficult medium-to-long-iron shots into the greens. What a well-thought-out strategy it was by Tiger. The second part of Norman’s quote has some merit because technology has made a difference, because at the end of the day, the Bubba Watson’s of the tour still aren’t legitimate contenders to even win, much less challenge to the top-10.

Here’s my take on the matter. What if Phil Mickelson, or Davis Love III, or Adam Scott was dominating the tour like Tiger is today. What would Norman feel about that? I have an idea, but it would be pure speculation, and completely unflattering.