Tuesday
Sep182012
Shark: "What I’m seeing is that Tiger’s really intimidated by Rory"
Robert Lusetich talks to Greg Norman about the Tiger-Rory bromance, and the self-appointed expert on all things male and testosterone sees intimidation in Tiger's eyes.
“What I’m seeing is that Tiger’s really intimidated by Rory,” he says. “When have you ever seen him intimidated by another player? Never.
“But I think he knows his time’s up and that’s normal; these things tend to go in 15-year cycles.
“Jack took it from Arnold (Palmer). I took it from Jack, Tiger from me and now it looks like Rory’s taking it from Tiger.”
I knew Greg was going to slip himself in there somehow! Took it from Jack eh?
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 09:29 AM
Reader Comments (44)
Sure, Norman lost that major after a freak shot by Bob Tway. And he lost the next major after afreak shot by Larry Mize. But he did not pick that line out of thin air. And he could have - perhaps should have - had three consecutive majors in ´86 and ´87, when people were saying that about him. If he feels robbed of a legacy, it's understandable.
That said, Tiggly Wiggly is massively sucking up to McIroy for whatever reason. For someone of Woods' reputation, it looks ridiculous.
However - and this is from a Rory "fan" - Mcilroy would have to have an incredible run to even be in the same conversation of overall skill as TW. Win multiple regular events in a row (5+, 6+), multiple times, lead 11/16 statistical categories, finish well under par in a Major that nobody else could sniff a bird - etc. TW has secured his spot in golf lore.
@ Abu Dhabi - Rory has got a career to go - and we all get a front seat to see how he progresses ... but I'm not sure what TW could do in this spot to NOT "look ridiculous". Growl at the kid? Laugh at him? Hit him over the head with a Method putter? Any response TW gives to anybody or anything in any way is overblown/hyped.
However - and this is from a Rory "fan" - Mcilroy would have to have an incredible run to even be in the same conversation of overall skill as TW. Win multiple regular events in a row (5+, 6+), multiple times, lead 11/16 statistical categories, finish well under par in a Major that nobody else could sniff a bird - etc. TW has secured his spot in golf lore.
@ Abu Dhabi - Rory has got a career to go - and we all get a front seat to see how he progresses ... but I'm not sure what TW could do in this spot to NOT "look ridiculous". Growl at the kid? Laugh at him? Hit him over the head with a Method putter? Any response TW gives to anybody or anything in any way is overblown/hyped.
Folks sure seem to love to bash Greg when he speaks his mind, which he does quite often irregardless of the "popular" opinion...the unavoidable truth is that the man has actually walked the walk in the world of golf and was lucky enough to see what it's really like at the top so his opinion does in fact matter....I just wish the regular golf media would sometime remember that instead of feeding the knee-jerk peanut gallery (of which I am an occasional participant ;-))
And in this case, I do agree with those posters who correctly and astutely noted that there is an undercurrent/no love lost between the Shark and the Tiger.
But, he was massive in that period. The guy had a serious aura about him. He's six one or two, but seemed ten feet tall. Shivas Irons stuff. In the Aussie summer of '85/'86, I think he won five tournaments straight, and every other player was beaten on the first tee. Sure, just Aussie fields, but some good players in there, ie future major winners Grades and IBF (the Dark Shark, as we came to know him, somewhat jokingly).
Again, I'm no Shark apologist, but it's a bit sad he's remembered as a guy who couldn't close out the majors. Sure, he had that fatal flaw, but on balance luck was probably against him - Mize being exhibit A. The guy won 88 or so tournaments, and was No 1 in the world for a total or nearly seven years. It takes more than a bit of talent and 'closing ability' to do that.
2. Opinion: Tiger game-faced all other challengers thru the years because he knew he was much better and would ultimately prevail.
He's only treating Rory like he's Cookie or Marco because he knows Rory is indeed "the next one" and doesn't want to look like a sad ghost by putting the mental wood to him and failing.
He wants to be able to say, "I'm fine with it; hell, I saw it coming. I love the kid."
OK, either that, or Wozniacki has a sister.
"Took it from Jack"? No. That's wrong. If anyone took it from Jack it was Watson, then Watson and Seve and then Faldo from them. Not Norman.
"Tiger took it from him"? No. That's wrong, too. Tiger took it from Tom Lehman, who granted didn't have it long... maybe he took it from Norman, maybe Faldo.
And for anyone who thinks luck was all that got him in 86, check what he shot in the last round of the PGA... 76.
And the following year when Mize beat him in a playoff at the Masters, he shot 72 on Sunday after a 66 on Saturday to get in contention--hardly the stuff of legends.
K
Rick
Most of them could play a bit.
The mid 80's up until you know who appeared on the scene was a great time in pro golf...that was when par 5's played like actual par5's and long irons were seen being used to hit par4's...thus allowing the better players (eg: Norman, Faldo, Seve, and the rest) to separate themselves thru superior ball striking skill. Perfect example is when Nick Price won like 6 tournaments in a year (94? or 95?)...when I told my college teammate that he just won the Cdn Open in impressive style, my friend couldn't and wouldn't believe it before he saw it on Sportscenter that night,he thought (as most golf fans at the time did) that winning more than 2x on Tour in a year was next to impossible....THAT'S how good the competition was kenoneputt.
Watson had a better career, but I don't think he was ever the dominant, charismatic figure that the Shark was. People tend to forget that Watson's final major was in 1983.