The fates have toyed with Greg Norman.
On one hand, they've given him astounding success in multiple fields. Be it golf, course design, winemaking or developing a clothing line, Norman has, in many ways, hit the jackpot. Very few men alive today can match Norman's achievements, nor rival his fame.
Yet, at the same time, the fates have exacted a high price from Norman. It's as if they decided that since he's known their blessings to the extreme, he also needed to endure the cruelest of heartaches. Yes, Norman has lived the good times but he's been brutally punished as well.
When thinking of Greg Norman, just as many people view him as a tragic figure as they do a fortunate son. To be sure, Norman has been gut shot more times than he cares to remember. Nightmares have eaten away at his sweet dreams.
Need proof ? Let's start with the fact that he has lost all four majors in a playoff. Try living with that anguish.
He's also been done in by lightning-in-the-bottle kind of stuff. First, Bob Tway holes an incredible blast from a greenside bunker to steal a PGA title from Norman. Then, Larry Mize does one even better at the 1987 Masters when he drops a phenomenal 140-foot chip that puts a dagger in Norman's heart. The "Great White Shark" seemed to go white as a sheet when Mize performed his miracle.
But the Masters was only just beginning to work its' curse on Norman. After playing three superb rounds in '96, Norman seemed a sure bet at Augusta. With a six-stroke lead heading into the final 18 holes, it looked like Norman's coronation was a mere formality. This was going to be a cakewalk.
Unfortunately, the fates had other ideas. In one of the all-time implosions and fades in the annals of golf, Norman totally fell apart and handed the Green Jacket to Nick Faldo, who was so stunned by Norman's cave-in, the Englishman felt almost embarrassed to accept the prize.
Now, let's fast forward to 2008. At the advanced age of 53, Norman is no longer really a threat on the links. Truth be told, Norman doesn't even play all that much anymore. Due to some physical limitations and diminishing interest, the "Shark" no longer grinds it out on the range in order to get his game into tiptop shape.
His corporate responsibilities seem to be his primary focus these days, in addition to his new heartthrob, tennis great Chris Evert. Newlyweds of three weeks, the couple seems genuinely content and destined for a nice long run of happiness. After an acrimonious divorce from his first wife Laura in which Norman was forced to cough up the staggering total of 103 million dollars, maybe the fates felt Norman deserved a break so they brought Evert into the equation.
But being mischievous, fickle and devilish sorts, the fates can just as easily take as they can give. And they were about to lay on Norman, one of their biggest teases ever. Once again, they were to put something wondrous within his grasp, only to sadistically pull it away when the Australian made a grab for it. Once more, disappointment was just around the corner. Norman was about to get crushed for the umpteenth time.
For three days at this year's British Open held at Royal Birkdale, Greg Norman transformed himself from a non-story into a stunning headliner. Thought to be all but done, Norman harkened back to his salad days and had the golfing world all agog. He turned the clock so far back it was if he were in a time warp. Once again, the "Great White Shark" cut a bold and dashing figure and, like his namesake, looked ready to devour anything or anyone who dared get in his way.
Nothing could stop Norman. He steered through the daunting wind and the pelting rain like a shark gliding thru a calm sea. He nailed big putt after big putt. True to his code, he played aggressively and with conviction. He hung together when so many around him were falling all over themselves. And so, by the time Saturday night had rolled around, Norman had impressively maneuvered himself into a two-stroke lead over Open defending champion Padrig Harrington.
Norman was now on the cusp of something monumental, not to mention historic. If he could keep the mojo going for just one more day, he would author one of the greatest and most unlikely stories in the annals of sport, let alone golf. Winning a major at the age of 53, would rival just about any other single achievement that the game had ever seen.
Even more important, it would dramatically alter Norman's image and legacy. The perception of him would be forever changed. In an instant, Norman would be transformed from snakebit loser to heroic and beloved winner. Moreover, it would remove much of the sting of those past and bitter disappointments and replace it with a joy and satisfaction beyond calculation.
It was right there before him. All he had to do was to play smart and solid and the glory of a lifetime would be his to claim. He just needed to stay out of his own way and then hope the fates wouldn't torment and plague him as they had on previous occasions.
Alas, they weren't about to be that kind or benevolent.
Though he stumbled from the gate with three straight bogeys, Norman regrouped and steadied himself enough to take a one-stroke lead heading into the final nine. He was inching closer towards the ultimate redemption. But that's about where it stopped. The fates and a utterly brilliant Harrington wouldn't let the dream go much further.
Now operating on wobbly legs and worn down by the sheer magnitude of what he was trying to accomplish, Norman finally spit the bit. By the 13th hole, he had relinquished the lead, never to regain it. Though he battled gamely to the end, the "Shark" sank. He carded a discouraging seven-over par 77 that was no match for Harrington's inspired and relentless 69. Norman's 289 total earned him a disheartening tie for third.
As usual, Norman was classy in defeat. Always a standup guy, he didn't attempt to duck the press in the face of yet another emotional letdown. He bravely answered the tough questions and was extremely gracious in his praise of Harrington. He may have lost one of the world's most prestigious tournaments but he won the respect of golf fans everywhere with his sincere sportsmanship.
But though he seemed philosophical and almost fatalistic about what had befallen him, you just know he was hurting inside more than he was letting on. No matter the outward appearances, you don't shake off that kind of a blow all that easily. It lingers and cuts you to the bone.
Again, Norman had verged on the memorable, only to be left with something more along the lines of the painful and the tragic. Once more, the fates had played Lucy to Norman's Charlie Brown and fiendishly snatched away the coveted prize right as the "Shark" was primed to snare it.
It amounted to just another deflating episode in a long series of trials and tribulations. It's fitting that Norman hails from Down Under because no man knows more about downers, at least on the links.
Yes, Greg Norman has a lot. No doubt, he's achieved more than most men ever dream about. And, on balance, he's lived a charmed life. But when it comes to golf, he's known just as much agony as he's known ecstasy. He's paid a heavy emotional toll with a club in his hands. He's had the hurt put to him perhaps like no other.
The fates have seemingly delighted in making Norman their whipping boy. For his sake, I hope they're done with their cruelty. After all, enough is enough!