Friday, April 12, 2002
Shark still swimming at Augusta
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — No matter how much grief Augusta National dishes out, Greg Norman keeps coming back. For some reason, he can't help but love the place.
“It's just pure golf,” Norman said. “There's really no hoopla. You have a great driving range, and you walk onto the first tee and just play golf.”
The Shark certainly played as if he were enjoying himself Thursday, opening the Masters with a 1-under-par 71 that put him solidly in contention for an elusive green jacket.
Oh, sure, we've been through this before. Norman is a three-time runner-up best known for his 1996 collapse, when he squandered a six-stroke lead on the final day.
After cutting back his playing schedule, the 47-year-old Norman didn't even qualify for the Masters this year under the regular criteria. But the club gave him a special invitation that goes to foreign-born players.
As if wanting to prove he was worthy, the Aussie parred the first 11 holes, birdied the 12th and 13th, and didn't falter until a three-putt on the final hole gave him his only bogey of the day.
Norman slapped at his putter when a 5-footer slid by the cup, proving there's still plenty of fire inside this gracefully aging golfer.
“My expectations were pretty good,” Norman said. “I would have liked to not three-putt the last hole, but at the end of the day, I played very, very solid golf. I was never really putting myself in position where I had to work extremely hard.”
Even though he can't keep up with the big hitters, Norman wasn't the least bit intimidated by Augusta's massive makeover, which changed nine holes and lengthened the course by almost 300 yards.
Norman had to get up-and-down at 14 to save par, and he left himself with some lengthy putts. But he was usually on the right side of the hole, facing uphill rolls that don't seem nearly as treacherous on Augusta's slick greens.
Down in Amen Corner, Norman plopped a 9-iron to about 7 feet at the 12th, setting up his first birdie. At the next hole, he yanked a 4-iron left of the green, but chipped to 4 feet for another birdie.
Norman played in a group with Ernie Els and David Duval, two of the more stoic players on tour.
“I felt very comfortable with my pairing,” Norman said. “They are very easy guys to play golf with: their emotions, their attitude, their demeanor. Even though they get upset, they are very much in control of it.”
Norman wants to avoid a repeat of 2001, when he also opened with a 71. He followed the next day with an 82 — his worst score at Augusta — and missed the cut.
“There's a lot of golf to be played yet,” he said. “The goal in my mind when I drove to the course was shooting a 70. That's probably why I was a little bit more upset at myself for three-putting 18. I wanted to shoot 70.”
If there's ever a course that owes Norman a little good fortune, it's Augusta National. He's finished sixth or better nine times but somehow kept finding ways not to win.
“I don't know whether there's such a thing as something owes you,” Norman said. “As long as I'm there at the end of the day, great.
“And,” he added, “if it doesn't work out, I've had a great time here.”
More Masters and local golf coverage at Cincinnati.com/golf
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