Australian golf legend Greg Norman makes a rare appearance on home soil at the Johnnie Walker Classic starting on Thursday - and he is not planning on simply making up the numbers.
After turning 54 eight days ago, the Great White Shark will be aiming to roll back the years at The Vines Resort and Country Club against a stellar field which includes Colombian star Camilo Villegas, American Anthony Kim, England’s Lee Westwood and title holder, 2008 Australasian Tour Order of Merit winner Mark Brown of New Zealand.
All eyes will be on the charismatic Norman, a man who has won over 80 international titles and two Major Championships. Last year, he produced a fairy-tale run at The Open Championship where he entered the final round as the tournament leader before finishing third.
“If I come and play a golf tournament, I'm not just going to come and play. I'm going to try to give it my best shot. Sometimes you miss the cut and sometimes you do very well. As long as you know, you're giving it 101 percent, which I'll do this week,” said Norman, whose last competitive appearance in Australia was in 2006 at the Australian Open where he finished tied 26.
Winner of the 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket, Thailand, Norman, a former World Number One, has kept himself in great physical shape despite his growing business interests around the world which includes golf course designing, a winery and apparel.
“Obviously what happened last July (at The Open) is even more rewarding. I've always been a believe that age is really not anything but a number, as long as you keep yourself in good shape,” he said.
Norman’s star appearance at the Johnnie Walker Classic will be part of his preparation for his 23rd visit to the Masters Tournament in April, an invitation he earned following his stunning run at The Open.
However, he insists that the Masters is the furthest thing on his mind. “I'm focusing on the Johnnie Walker Classic. I always stay focused in what's happening right now. If I start thinking about what's going to happen in five weeks from now or six weeks, then I'm not preparing myself,” said Norman.
Norman’s challengers could well be two of the world’s most exciting young talents.
World Number Nine Villegas and the 11th-ranked Kim won two titles each on the US PGA Tour last season and know that getting their names onto the Johnnie Walker Classic trophy, which includes great names like Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Fred Couples, Ian Woosnam and Norman, would add to their growing reputation.
“I try to improve every year. That's my main goal, and I believe in 2006 I played the Tour in 2006, and 2007 I was a better player; 2008 I was a better player, and that's my goal for 2009,” said Villegas.
The dashing Colombian was barely two years old when Norman won his first title in America and he enjoyed the opportunity of partnering the Australian great in the Merrill Lynch Shark Shootout last year, an event which Norman hosts. He will play alongside Norman and Westwood in the first two rounds at The Vines.
“Obviously Greg is a great example for the game. I had a lot of fun that week and I learned a lot. I was trying to pick his brains and learn from a guy who’s been Number One in the world for a long period of time,” said Villegas, who is part of The European Tour's Race to Dubai.
He dispelled thoughts that he has taken up Membership simply to reach Dubai in November and said: "People think I play The European Tour because of The Race to Dubai, but it's not true. I've always wanted to be a world player. The problem is that when you're not Top 50 in the world, it's tough to set a schedule.You don't have those seven tournament that is count both ways (on European and US PGA Tours). It's tricky.You have to put your priorities in order.
"But the great finish last year, getting myself in the Top 50, it changes a little bit, so I decided to make a move. It happened to be that The Race to Dubai started the same year, and I'm really excited about. I think it's something great. I've got world sponsors and I want to play around the world and I want to represent them and I want to represent myself around the world, and I enjoy it."
American-Korean Kim wasn’t born when Norman won his first title in the US and the 23 year old feels the Shark could well contend this week. “I just told him that he's probably hitting it just as good as he used to before. He looks like he's in better shape every year. You know, a guy like that, you have to respect, and try to model yourself a little bit after him. I never thought I would be playing in a tournament with him,” said Kim.
As for The Race to Dubai, Kim said: "Having the world golf events and the Majors a part of it is definitely going to help The European Tour because you only have to play three or four more events to qualify to get into the top 60.
"So I think it's definitely going to bring some more players over here. You've got Boo, Camilo, myself and a couple other people are going to join. So it's definitely going to make The European Tour stronger I think."
Defending champion Brown is looking forward to his defence despite feeling jaded after a busy run of events. “I’m just feeling a bit tired but I’m looking forward to this week. You have to position your ball in the right places and the greens are big. It’ll be important to get the clubbing right and get it pin high,” said the Kiwi who finished third on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit and won the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit last season.
“Last year, I enjoyed two amazing weeks (where he won the SAIL Open and Johnnie Walker Classic back to back in India). It happened so fast. I just remember it was perfect weather and I was playing good golf. It was one of those weird times when playing golf feels easier than normal,” said Brown.
