Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
Even as I type this, a storybook tale is unfolding. With 20 holes left to play in the 2008 British Open (the final round plus 17&18 in the 3rd round), Greg Norman sits atop the leaderboard at +3.
Never mind that cold temps and whipping winds have reduced the Major Championship to a survival test. Should Norman, who hasn’t won a tournament in 10-years, never mind a Major, hold his position, this will be one of the top sports stories of the year, ranking right up there with Tiger’s Wounded Knee win at the U.S. Open.
As someone who always rooted for him and cringed through a Greek Easter Sunday as Norman blew a 7-shot, final round lead at the 1996 Masters, I’ll be pulling extra hard for the man dubbed The Shark. He apparently has it all in life…money, his own clothing line and wine label, even a brand new wife in the famous Chris Everett. What the 53-year old doesn’t have is a storybook victory to cement his place among golf’s all-time greats.
Everybody raise a glass of Greg Norman Shiraz now…Here’s hoping Norman gets that victory tomorrow!
(Update: Norman is at +2, holding a 2-stroke lead over Padraig Harrington and K.J. Choi at the completion of the 3rd round)
What do you think? Can the Shark hold on? Would this be a more improbable victory than a 46-year old Nicklaus winning the Masters?
Ever see the pictures of his yacht? Amazing that he's so finanancially successful, and still able to compete at that level. Good for him, hope he does it.