Norman Fades In Senior Open Championship Despite Chrissie's "Different Thought Process" Instillation Efforts

Loren Roberts won the Senior Open Championship after Greg Norman faded following Saturday's 64. Earlier in the week, The Australian's Patrick Smith took Norman to task for suggesting that ex-wife Laura somehow cost him some majors.

He was asked this: "Had Chrissie been in your life 20 years ago would you have won some of those that got away?"

Norman replied: "Chrissie would have instilled a different thought process and I would have said the answer would probably be 'yes'."

Laura's thought processes must have been pretty good during his 88 international tournament victories and his two British Open wins but, apparently, she just got ornery at the Masters, the US Open and the US PGA.

Like the 1986 PGA when Bob Tway holed out from a bunker on the 18th. Bloody Laura. Or the US Open the same year when Norman shot a final-round 75 after leading. The bitch. Then a year later Larry Mize holes out from hell on the 11th, second hole of a play-off for the Masters. Quit playing with his mind, woman. Or in the 1989 British Open playoff when he whacked the ball dead into a fairway bunker. Damn you Laura.

If Laura had this much power over the man as he built a business empire, then she really did earn her multi-million dollar divorce settlement, no?

And what does it say about Chrissie's thought process techniques that Norman had to cut staff recently?

Comments

[Aunt Blabbie]

Chrissie and Greg deserve each other.

[Brad Ford]

His ex-wife cost him majors b/c Norman got tired. It was not easy to cheat on her and the pressure to avoid getting caught hurt his game.

[Petrillo]

Everybody remembers Tway's bunker shot; few remember Greg shot 40 on the back nine that day. Nobody wins a major if they can't break 40 on the last 9 holes.

[taffy]

I suspect that with all the money she got Laura doesn't give a rat's patootie what Greg says about her as it only makes him look bad. Greg spent a lifetime building this macho image and now spouts this trite "soulmate" crap.
He has trouble finishing. He can't control his emotions some of the time. Laura didn't do it, and neither did Chrissy yesterday.

[RWJ]

Norman,
Good To Great Player,

You do remember him shoting 41 on the back 9 at the PGA when Bob Tway holed the bunker shot. He could ahve hold 3 more and still not win if Norman just palys on ok back nine.
Mr. Nicklaus finished second 19 times in the majors, did he EVER shot 41 in those situations?? I did not think so.
There is only so much room at the top of the pyramid, and "THE BEAR IS STILL AT THE TOP".

[Longy]

Keep him America. He's not Australian.

[DBCooper]

Still, you have to wonder what Norman would have been had he not had those BRUTAL body blows delivered to him in consecutive majors. Had he won those two, which he definitely figured to do given the position Tway and Mize were in, what would he have gone on to do in golf? It definitely stalled his position and set him back. I figure without those hole-outs happening to him and the momentum lost he would have maybe been good for 7+ majors in his career.

He had no freaking business losing that lead in the 4 hole playoff against Calcavecchia and Grady in Troon. Should have putted from off the green at 17 instead of chipping.

The putt staying out of the 72nd hole to win against Azinger at Inverness, unbelievable.

Anybody remember Gamez holing out from the fairway to beat him and a couple of weeks later Frost holing out from the bunker on 18 to beat him in New Orleans?

Tied for the lead going in to the final round at Shinnecock in '95, he played beautifully in the 4th round but just couldn't get a break.

On and on. He did have problems closing, but he had to have felt jinxed as well.

[BL]

Geez, nobody mentioning Norman's choke job against Faldo in the 96 Masters, blowing a 6 shot lead. I think Laura was sticking pins in a voodoo doll on that one.

[DBCooper]

Yep, the '96 Masters was quite a sad thing to watch.

[pro tour]

You guys seem dense. Is it that hard to see the trees for the forest?
The question was if he had been married to another world-class athlete all those years, someone who knew techniques and strategies for dealing with the pressure of top competition, would he have performed better? Obviously he would have. It's not really a dis on his old wife, she just didn't have that kind of skillset to offer him any help. It's not really a stretch, it's actually quite obvious.