Ever-Busy Norman Set For 70th Senior PGA

Courtesy of Pat Galbincea
Cleveland Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As a busy business entrepreneur, it's hard for Hall of Fame golfer Greg Norman to find time to play the sport that has put him in the limelight.

He'll make that time this week to compete in the 70th Senior PGA Championship starting Thursday at Canterbury, where the 54-year-old winner of 91 pro tournaments is expected to be a title contender despite his limited playing time.

Norman's son Gregory will be on the bag this week at Canterbury.

Norman is the chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises in West Palm Beach, Fla., which includes Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Medalist Golf Developments, Greg Norman Turf Co., Greg Norman Wine Estates, the Greg Norman Australian Grille (restaurant), the Greg Norman Collection (apparel) and Greg Norman Production Co.

Sound overwhelming? Well, add to that he will be the captain of the international team at the President's Cup, Oct. 6-11 at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, and it's apparent that Norman has limited free time.

He last played in a pro tournament April 9-10 at the Masters, where he missed the cut. He has spent much of his time since in Dubai, where he put the finishing touches on the Earth Golf Course he designed for the Jumeirah Estates. It will be the site of the Dubai World Championships to be held in November to culminate the European Tour season.

So how does he expect to play at Canterbury this week? Is his game still as sharp as it was last year when he was the British Open leader after three rounds and ended up tied for third place?

"Interestingly enough, I feel my game is in better shape now than it was last July at the British Open," Norman said. "To me, that is the curious part of golf. I was a bit rusty going into the British Open, but the conditions were so severe no one really had an advantage.

"Heading into the Masters last month, I worked hard on my game and felt I actually played better, yet I missed the cut. I've played several tournaments already this year, so I am hopeful I will be in pretty good shape for Canterbury -- but like all players, you need to be consistent over four days."

Norman admits that his business ventures do cut into his practice time and tour schedule, but not as much as people might think.

"Clearly, I am not devoting as much time to golf as I did in my earlier years or the time I played extensively on the [PGA] Tour," Norman said. "But having said this, I have always been pretty good about compartmentalizing my time. Even when I played more golf, I was able to multitask.

The key is to stay focused on the task at hand, which I need to do as a golfer, just as you do with your career or anyone else in their respective endeavors."

Norman, who last played at the Masters in April, tied for sixth in the last year's Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Last year Norman tied for sixth in the Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill, a Donald Ross masterpiece near Rochester, N.Y. Like Firestone South, a course he played regularly at the currently named WGC Bridgestone Invitational, Oak Hill is tree-lined.

So is Canterbury. It's a course Norman said he relishes.

"I have always enjoyed traditional parkland golf courses, and I suspect I am going to enjoy Canterbury," he said. "I have typically been a good driver of the golf ball, which is critical for mature parkland courses. I have always enjoyed playing courses such as Winged Foot, Baltusrol and Firestone, and in that way, I am looking forward to Canterbury."

The field of 156 at Canterbury includes 25 former major champions. Two of those broke Norman's heart in major tournament play -- Bob Tway in the 1986 PGA at Inverness in Toledo when he holed out a bunker shot for birdie on the 72nd hole, and Larry Mize in the 1987 Masters when he holed out a long chip in a playoff for a birdie.