Shark would rather swim with Evert

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The first putt was from about 30 feet, the second from four, the third from two – and yes, from a foot away, there was a fourth putt on the 13th green for Greg Norman. How could this happen? Well, as Seve Ballesteros once famously said to explain a four-putt at Augusta, “I miss. I miss. I miss. I make.”

The double bogey was only the beginning. Norman finished with two more bogeys, on Nos. 16 and 17, leading to a miserable 76 on a vulnerable Poppy Hills course at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am here Thursday.

So then why, once the damage was done, was the Shark smiling? He should be steaming. He should be rushing past reporters and heading to the range.

There’s an easy explanation, and it’s not just because he will turn 53 on Sunday. Nor is it because he entered this event only because his 22-year-old son and playing partner, Gregory, asked him. And it’s not just because his career – and the pressure that comes with it – is long behind him.

There’s another reason, and it has to do with his other partner. While being interviewed after his round, Chris Evert, Norman’s fianceé, wrapped her arms around him. Why shouldn’t he be smiling?

“We have got a date,” Norman said of their upcoming nuptials, “but you guys are going to have to wait and see what it is.”

Norman didn’t practice perhaps as much as he should have heading into his first PGA Tour appearance since the summer of 2006, and that was because of his numerous business obligations. Norman isn’t a golfer. He’s an empire. No doubt he will always be remembered for his heartbreaking losses on the game’s grandest stages – the 1986 Masters, 1987 Masters, 1993 PGA, 1996 Masters, etc. – but he’s done quite well for himself.

Still, for much of the day, until the four-putt at 13, the former superstar from Down Under kept pace with 20-year-old playing partner Jason Day, who very well might be the future one. Day, like Norman, is not lacking in confidence.

A while back, Day pulled what some considered a semi-Sabbatini, proclaiming his desire to one day unseat King Woods. The nerve of the guy. (Memo to all ambitious professional golfers: From now on, it’s only OK to state your intention to be No. 27 in the world rankings.)

Back to Norman. His ball-striking looked good. His difficulties came on the bumpy greens.

“From tee to green, I have no complaints at all,” Norman said.

At No. 12, he smacked his drive and second shot, leaving himself only a short approach to the green. The birdie put him at even par. The clubhead speed resembled the old Norman, and the physique is remarkable. Fifty-three? The guy looks like he’s 43. If he were to truly dedicate himself to the game again, and his back were to hold up, it is no stretch to imagine him being competitive. After all, Fred Funk, 51, is pretty competitive, and he’s nowhere near the player Norman once was.

It won’t happen, of course, because Norman isn’t interested in making it happen. He will play again in two weeks in the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya in Mexico, but that’s only because it is being staged at a course he designed.

After that, with the possible exception of the British Open at Royal Birkdale, he has no plans for any more PGA Tour events in 2008.

“I’ve got a few things on my plate, especially one around my waist here,” he said, referring to Miss Evert.

He won’t even play on the Champions Tour, which is a huge loss for that circuit. No disrespect to Jay Haas, Loren Roberts and company, but if Greg Norman were playing, even occasionally, that tour would have a pulse. Now it just has a problem.

Norman was asked afterward if any of the old excitement returned once he stepped to the first tee and realized he was again playing on the PGA Tour.

He paused, but only for a few moments. No, he responded. He and Chrissie know what it truly feels like to compete hard at the peak of your profession, and this is far from it.

His excitement Tuesday was about watching his son, his amateur playing partner. Gregory, who plays to a two handicap, certainly had his moments, especially at the 555-yard par-5 ninth. A monster drive and wonderful approach put him only about 12 feet away for eagle.

“It’s all speed,” Dad said.

Gregory missed it.

“Good try,” Dad said.

“The shot he hit at No. 9 was as good as any pro would ever want to hit,” Norman said after the round. “I’m proud of the way he played today.”

A few minutes later, Dad and his girl walked off into the Monterey Peninsula sunset.

Why shouldn’t he be smiling?