Gary Player dis’s Moe Norman
November 9, 2007 by Michael Stramba
From the Vancouver Sun
“During the question-and-answer period after a rousing speech to Callaway
equipment representatives a couple of days after the Presidents Cup, Gary
Player was asked about Canadian golfers he had known — about the legendary Moe Norman and George Knudson.
The context was, of course, Mike Weir’s place among them in the ranks of the greatest Canadians ever to pick up a golf club.
Player wasn’t having any of the Moe Norman argument.
“Yes, he could hit a ball perfectly straight … on a practice range,” Player said of golf’s Rain Man, over breakfast at Club de Golf Le Fontainebleau in suburban Montreal. “But what did he win?”
I guess as far as Gary is concerned, it’s the P.G.A. tour or nothing when it comes to golf accomplishments.
International: America’s Cup Canadian Team Member
National:
1955 Canadian Amateur Champion
1956 Canadian Amateur Champion
1957 Runner-Up Low Canadian in the Canadian Open
Professional:
1964 CPGA Millar Trophy Champion
1965 Runner-Up Canadian Professional Golfers Championship
1966 Canadian Professional Golfers Champion
1974 Professional Golfers Champion
1980 – 1985 & 1987 Canadian Professional Golfers Association Seniors Championship
Provincial:
1958 Ontario Open Champion
1963 Saskatchewan Open Champion
1963 Ontario Open Champion
1965 Manitoba Open Champion
1966 Alberta Open Champion
1966 Manitoba Open Champion
1967 Manitoba Open Champion
1968 Saskatchewan Open Champion
1971 Alberta Open Champion
1976 Alberta Open Champion
At MoeNorman.com Lee Trevino seemed to be much more a fan than Player : “I don’t know of any player, ever, who could strike a golf ball like Moe Norman, as far as hitting it solid, knowing where it is going and knowing what he wants to do with the ball. Moe Norman is a genius when it comes to playing the game of golf.”
As apparently also is Tiger Woods :
“Only two players have ever truly owned their swings Moe Norman and Ben Hogan,” Woods said. “I want to own mine. That’s where the satisfaction comes from.”
VJ Singh was asked this question: Who’s the best golfer you’ve ever seen?”
Singh’s answer: “Moe Norman. I’ve hit balls with him lots of times. He was incredible. Whatever he said he could do, he could do. If you talk to Lee Trevino and the other greats of the game, they’ll tell you how good he was. He could talk it, and he could do it. God gives people little gifts, and Moe had a gift for golf.“
I have never respected Gary Player, most of what come sout of his mouth as he got older was self praise and little for anyone else. Of course Moe Norman was a great ball striker, all the film i ever saw of him striking a driver off the ground like it was a 7 wood.
DKIDD,
Not only was Moe not “just” a great ball striker, as I posted above he was also able to “take it to the course”, even if it was “only” in Canada.
I saw Moe a few times hitting balls, and he more than just great, he was in a different category altogether.
During the Canadian Open, he would be out on th practice tee in his dress shoes hitting laser beams, while the young pros all gathered around to watch … this when he was in his 50’s – 60’s.
As for Mr. Player, maybe he’ll blog about me, “dissing” him
Mike
I got to meet Norman with 12 other players at the Canadian National Skills Competition. He predicted that he would hit the pin at 50 yards twice in a row, it was unbelievable.
My understanding was that he played one PGA tour event. He placed second, showed up for the next weeks event and was told he wasn’t allowed to play. Seeing that placing second meant nothing, he chose to never play in a PGA tour event ever again, thus Mr. Player, his lack of wins on the PGA tour.
Seems Gary has an opinion on everything.
Gary Player is playing the Masters just to have the most apperances, he has no chance to make the cut, but I’ll bet he will remind everyone he has played in the most, as if what he will be doing is called professional golf.
Having met Moe and watched him hit balls several times,he never claimed to be the best golfer…just the world’s best ball striker.I think Gary Player doesn’t like it too much when people talk about other golfers in his presence.It takes away the spotlight from an aging man who doesn’t want to share the limelight.