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Greg Norman, former golf dominator

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by LongTimeListener, Sep 19, 2012.

  1. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    That's as generous a read as can be made.

    When it mattered . . . in the big ones . . . you could hear the gagging thousands of miles away.
     
  2. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Who was No. 1 for longer? Norman or Nick Faldo. I think it's pretty close, IIRC.

    One could make a case for Faldo based on major victories, but Norman was a darn good player, made a lot of money and won a lot of tournaments all over the world.

    As for McIlroy. he's impressive, no doubt. But I think someone has to sustain that excellence over a period of several years before they can be called the next big thing.
     
  3. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    If he sustained it would he not just be the big thing?
     
  4. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    Norman ended seven seasons as the No. 1-ranked player in the world. Seve had four, Faldo two.

    But Seve had five majors and Faldo six. All that counts.
     
  5. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Seve was pretty much done after winning the 1988 British Open. Faldo was just getting started (won the 87 Open for his first major); Norman somewhere in the middle.
     
  6. TwoGloves

    TwoGloves Well-Known Member

    Norman is a huge douche bag.
     
  7. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    Norman won two British Opens; Peter Thompson won 5.

    As someone else wrote, majors are what count; not wins at the Phoenix Open, or Malaysian Open.
     
  8. No. 1 in the world is kinda meaningless. Before Rory, Luke Donald was No. 1. Forty weeks at No.1 and never won a major.

    Prior to Luke, Lee Westwood, another majorless winner.
     
  9. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    I would argue it is much harder to become and stay No. 1 for a while than it is to get hot one week and win a major.

    I'm sure Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, Shaun Michael, Jeff Sluman, Rich Beem, Y.E. Yang, Charl Schwartzel, Lucas Glover, Mike Weir, Michael Campbell, Stewart Cink and Webb Simpson would concur.
     
  10. I agree. .. But No. 1 in the world for nearly a year w/o a major is a joke.
     
  11. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    All that time Norman was No. 1 in the world, he was named PGA Tour player of the year once, in 1995.
     
  12. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Well, there's only four majors a year. And, currently, the gap between No. 1 and No. 30 is not all that large.

    So, I would say if you are No. 1 for, say, five years and win a lot of smaller tournaments (as seems to happen in women's tennis), but never win or even contend in a major..... then there is an issue how legit you are.

    Remember, as good of players as Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els are, each has won four majors total in more than 15 years. Tiger Woods sort of set the bar at an astronomical heighth for this generation when it comes to winning majors.

    Now, Westwood and Donald might be the next Colin Montgomerie. But I still believe each of those guys will win at least one major before their careers are done.
     
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