The Shark Speaks: Norman Takes The Lead at British Open

[rem16]

Greg Norman speaks after taking the lead going into Sunday at the Open Championship.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3496656&categoryId=2630020

Love 'The Shark'! Hope he wins it all! :s1gyahoo:

[Fiatjustitia]

Hi Rem16!

So happy you started this thread! I'm a Greg Norman fan from way back and WOW is this ever great news for him and all of us who've followed his career!:s1gyahoo:

When first hearing that he had done well on Thursday, I thought, "well, this is another of those feelgood stories - you know, where an aging player has a very good first day in a major, and then fades way back and misses the cut."

Then came Friday and yesterday and word that he's carrying the lead into Sunday - well, I knew he had won the Open twice before and Birkdale must have been one of them - but after checking, it was Turnberry in '86 and Royal St. Georges in '93.

So, it must be that he's discovered the fountain of youth in marriage to Chrissie - and now we must wait in hopes he won't choke at the end - a curse he had to deal with in days of yore.:shrug1:

So, besides being able to see this guy - who brought big time sexsayness to the PGA Tour ha ha ha - contending in a major again, the continuing hope that he'll triumph in the end is going to keep me glued to the TV until this tournament is over!:happy0158:

Anyway, here's a link to a piece from foxsports.com that I think captures this moment of his perfectly, followed by a link to his website that shows all of the interests - business and golf related - that consumed most of his time before he married Chrissie Evert.

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/8357198/Norman,-Duval-bringing-back-golf's-past

And his website:

http://www.shark.com/index.php

Goooooooooooooooooooo SHARK!!!

And a great day for him, Chrissie and all of us fans!:happy0158:

Fiat:happy0207:

[TobyTiger]

Greetings!

Currently he's three off the lead.
:frown:

Ian Poulter just completed his round at +7...however he was -1 today!
:zm10:

Padraig Harrington has the lead at +6.

Also have the German GP starting in a few minutes (on tape delay from Fox).

More updates soon!
:biggrin:

[kindee]

hey I rarely watch golf but this has been interesting!

[TobyTiger]

Harrington +5

Poulter +7 (complete)

Norman +8

more to come...
:zm10:

[TobyTiger]

Two holes to go...

Harrington still leads at +5.
:zm10:

[kindee]

I like Harrington, LOVE the accent!!!! Too bad for The Shark---I think this will be the end of his career.

[rem16]

I like Harrington, LOVE the accent!!!! Too bad for The Shark---I think this will be the end of his career.

Sigh, today just isn't his day.. There are still the Senior tournaments.

[TobyTiger]

Harrington got an EAGLE on the 17th...now +3!!

:zm10::zm10:

[TobyTiger]

Sigh, today just isn't his day.. There are still the Senior tournaments.

He put forth a valiant effort...and brought a lot of interest to the tournament since Tiger isn't there.

Currently he's 3rd...not too bad at all.
:zm10:

[TobyTiger]

CONGRATULATIONS TO PADRAIG HARRINGTON!

Final score +3

Ian Poulter +7

Greg Norman +9

:zm10::zm10::zm10:

[lovelaw]

CONGRATULATIONS TO PADRAIG HARRINGTON!

Final score +3

Ian Poulter +7

Greg Norman +9

:zm10::zm10::zm10:

Nice finish!~

I ADORE Padraig!! I also love Greg Norman. Two fine golfers...two fine men!~:zm10:

Ian Poulter just isn't a fave of mine....but still, nice job by him as well!~

[lovelaw]

hey I rarely watch golf but this has been interesting!

HEY!! You should watch more often!! Before you know it, you're sucked right in!~:hifive:

[lovelaw]

I like Harrington, LOVE the accent!!!! Too bad for The Shark---I think this will be the end of his career.

He could melt buttah dahling, I tell you!!.:flirt99:

As he was "tanking" everyone, I wanted to say, "no, no, Tank YOU!"
And his smile......could melt FROZEN buttah dahling!!:s1gyahoo:

[kindee]

HEY!! You should watch more often!! Before you know it, you're sucked right in!~:hifive:




Yeah, I have done that many times over the years---have "people" who watch every tourney and know all the details, so it's unavoidable---

but over the recent years I haven't watched enough to know much about many of the players. Still, the British Open is something not to be missed.

WOOO HOOOOOO WE need US a golfing vacation Lovelaw, :67302:

[kindee]

He could melt buttah dahling, I tell you!!.:flirt99:

As he was "tanking" everyone, I wanted to say, "no, no, Tank YOU!"
And his smile......could melt FROZEN buttah dahling!!:s1gyahoo:



He'll still be Tanking Tose people on Tursday!!!!!!!

[London Lass]

My Daddy is there - he will be home tomorrow night - he's left my mum looking after the Grandkids which she is really happy about NOT! :girl_haha:

[TobyTiger]

Nice finish!~

I ADORE Padraig!! I also love Greg Norman. Two fine golfers...two fine men!~:zm10:

Ian Poulter just isn't a fave of mine....but still, nice job by him as well!~

Having the Shark in the lead for three rounds did create a lot of interest in the tournament, in my opinion. It was great to watch...and a great finish for him.

Rather humorous also in the interview afterward, he stated he wasn't going to be playing regularly...and was reminded he now would be in the 2009 Masters. He said he hadn't even thought of that.
:happy0158:

[lovelaw]

Yeah, I have done that many times over the years---have "people" who watch every tourney and know all the details, so it's unavoidable---

but over the recent years I haven't watched enough to know much about many of the players. Still, the British Open is something not to be missed.

WOOO HOOOOOO WE need US a golfing vacation Lovelaw, :67302:

I'm jealous about the ones you have told me about, from back in the day!!~:zm10:

The British Open is 2nd only to the US OPEN!~

Darn tootin' we do!!~ Polish up on your golf cart driving skills!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee:friends3::hifi ve:

[lovelaw]

My Daddy is there - he will be home tomorrow night - he's left my mum looking after the Grandkids which she is really happy about NOT! :girl_haha:

AWESOME!!:zm10:
LL that is too cool!~
HAHAHA!!~ Poor old "mum"!!

[lovelaw]

Having the Shark in the lead for three rounds did create a lot of interest in the tournament, in my opinion. It was great to watch...and a great finish for him.

Rather humorous also in the interview afterward, he stated he wasn't going to be playing regularly...and was reminded he now would be in the 2009 Masters. He said he hadn't even thought of that.
:happy0158:

TRUE!! That blew me away! I've always loved Norman!~

It was a great interview!!~:zm10: He's a character!~ A lovable one at that!~

[rem16]

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Jul 20, 9:57 pm EDT

SOUTHPORT, England – He was tucked away in back corner of the small gentleman’s changing room at Royal Birkdale, surrounded by a small group of reporters.

As his caddie was packing up the bags, Greg Norman propped his arm on a ledge and tried to put a little perspective on a remarkable week and find words to describe another disappointing day.

He was relaxed and smiling, not searching his soul to explain why yet another major belonged to someone else. Yes, the faces were the same but this was no post-Augusta moment with Norman tapping his club on the carpet as he wondered aloud why a course he loved so much kept breaking his heart.

Yes, the 137th Open Championship had slipped away Sunday and with it the story of the year. Perhaps it was just too much to expect for the 53-year-old who had hardly touched a club to hang on and win a third claret jug. Not because he was 53, but rather because he was here just to play some golf and get ready for next week’s Senior British Open at Troon.


Then again, we kept thinking, this was Greg Norman.

This one came out of nowhere. Three rounds of flawless golf in brutal conditions. A two-shot lead going into the final round. Three straight bogeys to start the day, three lipouts. A succession of chances that were just out of his reach.

“Nobody expected this,” he said.

Least of all, him. Or Chris Evert.

“I don’t know where the golf came from,” she said. “I know he’s a happier person because he’s older, wiser and doing the things he loves. He’s freer. But I don’t know where the golf came from the last four days.

“I’m amazed at the shots he hit the first three days. This was the story of the tournament, wasn’t it?”

Indeed. But the pressure Sunday afternoon was on defending champ Padraig Harrington to go back-to-back; on K.J. Choi or Ian Poulter or a half dozen others to step up. Not on Norman.

Winning was a possibility, not a probability. He was 500-1 shot to start the week – an afterthought. But what a great story it would have been.

Instead Harrington held onto the claret jug with a just-try-to-catch-me 32 on the back nine. And Norman, who was tied for the lead at the turn, couldn’t keep up. He shot 77 to finish tied for third and the 30th major top 10 in his career.

Someone mentioned one more time that put him back in the Masters next year.

“He’s in the Masters?” caddie Lynn Strickler deadpanned. “Consolation prize.”

He looked at Norman and they both started laughing.

The toughest thing about the day wasn’t losing. It was shooting 77. It was out of place after an opening pair of 70s and a third-round 72. The things that went right the first three days went wrong in the final round.

But the whole week told him the components of his game are all still there. Even if he has been playing more tennis than golf.

“I’m not as disappointed as I was in the 80s or 90s, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s a different disappointment. When you put yourself in this position, you want to close the deal. At the same time you have to take stock in the situation … again, reality.

“I’m not a competitive golfer day in and day out. I played pretty solid. And to step up to the plate and lead the British Open … “

This week, that was more than enough.

“Quite honestly, I’m sure I surprised a lot of people,” he said. “But at the same time, immediately I think about it now, what happens if I won? What happens if I won, then I might have had to be out here playing more golf, and maybe that’s what I didn’t want to do anyway. And that shouldn’t be any excuse for it.”

He wasn’t making one. This isn’t the swashbuckler who was stabbed in the heart by Bob Tway, Larry Mize and Robert Gamez. It wasn’t the No. 1 player in the world who took a six-shot lead into the final round of the 1996 Masters and had a meltdown.

This is the man who’s still giddy as a teenager over his new bride. The man whose mind has been wrapped up in details of a $2 million wedding and a honeymoon in the Bahamas. A man who splits his time between family and business and more tennis than golf.

“He feels freedom in his heart he’s never felt before,” Evert said. “I loved that he never got mad. Nothing rattled him. He’s always been tough on himself, but I was proud of him this week.”

She paused.

“He’s in a good place.”

He came in with low expectations and let us raise them. He exited, not with another loss, but with everyone talking about how amazing the week was; how incredibly deep and talented a shotmaker and golfer he really is.

To appreciate what he did, just ask Evert if she could imagine playing a Grand Slam event at 53.

“I retired 18 years ago,” she said laughing, “so no. And today, you have to run. That’s the problem.”

But Norman? This was one for the ages. A major gift to himself, his new bride and to the game. To everyone who had the chance to see his name on top of a major leaderboard one more time.

“I think at the end of the day, a lot of people should take stock no matter how old you are, if you really want to chase something and chase a dream, you can go do it,” Norman said.

“Even though there’s failure at the end of it for me, I still put myself in position to really show a lot of other people that you can go do something if you really want it.”

As for the Masters? He threw back his dead and said, “Time out, OK.” Way too much going on between now and then to think about that.

When he popped out of the hallway, he saw Evert, who asked if he wanted a beer.

He smiled and shook his head.

“No,” he said, giving her a hug and a kiss, “all I want is you.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=tu-normanbritopen072008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Aww, isn't that sweet...:kissyface4: