Roy S. Johnson Blog

Roy S. Johnson Blog

Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:58 pm EDT

The Shark has earned this one last hunt.

By Roy S. Johnson

Follow him. No, not him. Not Tiger. I'm not concerned with what Woods does at the Masters on Thursday and Friday. Just tell me whether he's in it or not. Woods does not produce highlights on Thursday and Friday. So I don't need a Tiger Cam for the first and second rounds at Augusta (unless he needs to make a putt on the 36th hole in order to make the cut...Ha!)

Instead, follow one of the game's greatest characters, and one of its greatest players.

Follow the guy who was Tiger - the top player in the world - for 331 weeks.

Follow the guy who's produced some of the Masters' most memorable moments.

Follow Greg Norman.

Follow the 54-year-old Aussie who very well may be playing his last Masters.

Follow the guy who deserves a green jacket more than Zach Johnson and a few others, honestly.

This will be Norman's 23rd Masters, a rightly-earned likely-swan turn. He'll be there based on his third-place finish at last year's British Open. It was a "comeback" that allowed us to remember just how much golf missed his presence, his class.

And he brought Chris Evert along. America's sweetheart is now Shark's sweetheart, and his return to Augusta is in part due to how she helped him overcome demons that we won't let him forget:

*The bogey on 18 on 1986 to miss a playoff.

*The playoff loss to Larry Mize in '87.

*And of course, '96, losing by five strokes after leading by six as the sun rose on Sunday.

Norman could have disappeared then. And he did, slowly. He finished third in he Masters two years later but missed the cut three of the five years after '96. Demons do that.

Demons also do divorce, but demons didn't count on Chrissie. She loved him and lifted him from the ashes of his professional and personal failures. She'd been there, too. On both fronts. The only difference was that she overcame her demons.

"She completely understands," he told the BBC earlier this year. And now, it seems, so does he.

So follow him. Follow him not because he may earn a green jacket. That's not likely. But no matter.

Follow him because he seems to be having fun. Because he deserves more than we recognize and remember him for.

Follow him because he understands, finally.

digg delicious
more

19 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. Jamar
    1. Posted by Jamar Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:28 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Well done, Roy. Greg's resembles Jack Nicklaus in respect to being in the hunt many a time when he didn't win. It seems, in his interviews with Jimmy Roberts and..., that he's at peace. Reminds me somewhat of Payne Stewart in his later years. I blogged on Bay Hill (at Aquarius 7 Broadcasting Network) on Arnold, Payne and of course the Chosen One, as one author entitled his book of Tiger. But I was hand when Robert Gamez struck his fateful second shot at Bay Hill back in 1990, the one from the 18th fairway that dealt the Shark another bite. Just as Mize and Tway and Frost did at majors and, as ZZ Top once sung, "all points inbetween." I recall seeing Greg on the 10th hole in one of his first Masters. His presence was commanding. Just like Arnie and Jack. You're right on in respect to Chris. Then again, what would Forrest (Gump) have been without his Jenny? As Forrest once said, "that's all I've got to say about that right now."
  2. Carey Jones
    2. Posted by Carey Jones Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    why didn't zach johnson deserve his masters? certainly played better in tough conditions than anyone else that sunday, including the great tiger.
  3. Robert T
    3. Posted by Robert T Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:08 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Great Article! Before last year's British Open, I thought my years of rooting for Greg Norman were Done. But Last year reminded me of why he was and still is my favorite golfer. I can not wait to watch him this year at the Masters. Trevor slipping the green jacket on Norman would be the greatest story in Golf history.
  4. RTE
    4. Posted by RTE Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Yea, cheap shot at Johnson. He won it and that's that.
  5. notphilfan
    5. Posted by notphilfan Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:46 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    My dream would be to see the Shark and Tiger duel it out coming down the last few holes, oh and Phillymick sitting in a Dennys having missed the cut. Norman set the tone for many others to follow, he was #1 for more time than anyone else besides Eldrick. Oh and you can credit him for all the WGA events, as it was his idea. The whole Chris Evert thing bothers me though, sad to see such loose morals in an otherwise classy guy like Norman.
    Tear em up Greg!
    PS the writer didnt say Johnson didn't deserve his green jacket, only that Norman deserved it more.
  6. Queenmum2
    6. Posted by Queenmum2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Greg who????????????????
  7. Steve O
    7. Posted by Steve O Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:43 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    i like the shark and it is great to see him back .i think the powers to be at Augusta ought to give him a special achievement 10 year exemption .as for Zach he is hot right now , a win this year and multiple top ten's .what will you say if he wins again ?everyone seems to forget that guys like Zack Mike and Trevor won there masters with Tiger in the field and not watching on tv .Teenage phenom Ryo nearly hit me in the stands at the fifth on monday after putting his first shot in the trees .a wasted exemption there i think .
  8. jg
    8. Posted by jg Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:21 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    get real grg norman had a good run but was no way going to win he is a choke artist just as payne and phil, the cant carry Tigers jock, lol Tom Watson has at leadt won the majors and is far far better than Norman will ever be considered, Greg Norman wat a joke, he never has been considered a gr8 except at the art of blowing a lead and making stupid choices just like Phil, lol.
  9. bill v
    9. Posted by bill v Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I've seen the Shark up close at Augusta in '98, and I've see Tiger up close in Houston. By far, the sheer presence, focus, and toughness that Norman projected was the overriding memory. That said, I can't feel too sorry for all the "tough times" he's endured before Chrissie pulled him from the ashes. I've had tough times too (like most) but I didn't have a gazillion dollars to help turn things around.
  10. J
    10. Posted by J Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:19 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Ya, that's cute, but lost among writer's attempts to dramatize the story is this: Norman never lost ANY tournament because of one or two bad breaks- he lost because he shot HORRIBLE scores in each of the rounds referenced above, and DESERVED to lose each tournament.
    Norman is, arguable, the greatest individual choker in sports history, and the fact that he only has two British Open trophies in his drawer- despite somehow ranking #1 in the world for 331 weeks- bears this out..... Tiger has had better YEARS than Norman has had a CAREER.
    Oh, and the Chrissie thing? Let's ask Andy Mills about that, shall we?
  11. bubu
    11. Posted by bubu Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:55 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    What a bunch of classless morons some of you posters are. sure he had some bad luck at times tell me one golfer that does not. norman made his run when there were a lot more great golfers in the field than there are today. i for one am glad he's back and never will forget the honor i had being able to follow him around the course wile he was playing. and as for you bunch of no goods leave chris alone. welcome back greg have a great time and enjoy your life now.
    p.s. thanks for the wonderful memories you gave me and still do when you are playing.
  12. Eric R
    12. Posted by Eric R Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I am shocked that you are openly backing a man that doesn't, well, look like you. Even though your "support" of Greg Norman included many backhanded compliments.
    Also, Zach Johnson deserved to win, because he won. It wasn't a tuck rule, or a bad officiating call, or "Whitey", trying to keep everyone else down. He played better than everyone else that day.
  13. tlholloway_1970
    13. Posted by tlholloway_1970 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:12 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Everybody says that there are no great golfers on the tour today.I say bull crap!!! It's just that Tiger makes everybody look like a chump.He's that far ahead of everybody.They are great....he is the greatest bar none.Even Jack and Arnie have siad as much many times.
  14. Spencer H
    14. Posted by Spencer H Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:56 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Don't say Norman deserves a jacket more than Zach Johnson when Johnson EARNED that green jacket. Norman had a golden opportunity to get his that he apparently "deserves" when he helped secure an 11 shot swing on Sunday in '96 and gave us all the joy of watching one of the worst meltdowns in sports history.
  15. G Blaze
    15. Posted by G Blaze Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I know you're trying to write a nice piece about Norman, but don't bs everyone by saying you're "not concerned with what Tiger does Thursday and Friday." And if you're not concerned with what Tiger does, then you shouldn't be writing a golf blog.
    This article is one of the fluffiest I've wasted my time reading in a while. Those short, choppy, sentences in an obvious effort to sound profound, just make you look like a "try hard." The point of a blog is to have a unregulated platform to write something interesting and unique. In a single google news search, I could find a dozen or more articles just like this one, only without all the fluff
  16. G Blaze
    16. Posted by G Blaze Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    i know you're trying to write a nice piece about norman, but don't bs everyone by saying you're "not concerned with what tiger does thursday and friday." and if you're not concerned with what tiger does, then you shouldn't be writing a golf blog.
    this article is one of the fluffiest i've wasted my time reading in a while. those short, choppy, sentences in an obvious effort to sound profound, just make you look like a "try hard." the point of a blog is to have a unregulated platform to write something interesting and unique. in a single google news search, i could find a dozen or more articles just like this one, only without all the fluff
  17. G Blaze
    17. Posted by G Blaze Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    i know you're trying to write a nice piece about norman, but don't bs everyone by saying you're "not concerned with what tiger does thursday and friday." and if you're not concerned with what tiger does, then you shouldn't be writing a golf blog.
    this article is one of the fluffiest i've wasted my time reading in a while. those short, choppy, sentences in an obvious effort to sound profound, just make you look like a "try hard." the point of a blog is to have a unregulated platform to write something interesting and unique. in a single google news search, i could find a dozen or more articles just like this one, only without all the fluff
  18. G Blaze
    18. Posted by G Blaze Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    i know you're trying to write a nice piece about norman, but don't bs everyone by saying you're "not concerned with what tiger does thursday and friday." and if you're not concerned with what tiger does, then you shouldn't be blogging about golf.
    This article is one of the fluffiest i've wasted my time reading in a while. those short, choppy, sentences in an obvious effort to sound profound, just make you look like a "try hard." the point of a blog is to have a unregulated platform to write something interesting and unique. in a single google news search, i could find a dozen or more articles just like this one, only without all the fluff
  19. scott m
    19. Posted by scott m Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:04 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I agree with BILL V. Try pulling yourself out of the ashes when you are dead broke. He's a great golfer, but his focus was always about making money more so than winning majors. Granted he has had some of wildest, improbable crap happen to lose some of the tournaments. Bob Tway's sand save at the 86 PGA was unlikly. I bet he couldn't hole that shot again in the same conditions. Cory Pavin's 4 wood at the 95 US Open cost him a trophy. Calc at the 89 British Open shouldn't have happend, but did. Larry Mize, please. If he hadn't lost his ball on 12 at the Masters in 99, he very well could have had a green jacket, but like my dad says, " Don't ever feel sorry for the rich".

Roy S. Johnson Blog

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

Contributors

Related Photo Gallery

More TOP Photos »

Yahoo! Sports Blog Recent Readers

(provided by MyBlogLog)