I’m no golf fanatic, but I couldn’t help but be struck by the remarkable events of the last four days at Royal Birkdale where the best golfers in the world battled it out by the sea in the wind and the rain.
The tournament was remarkable for several reasons – not least for the sensational performance delivered by Greg Norman as he bid to become the oldest ever winner of the British Open at 53, competing as only a part-time golfer. He led after the first round (a nice story, but surely he’d fade away as the full-time pros got used to the conditions?); he led after the second round (this was getting interesting!); he led after the third round going into the final day and he even held the lead jointly going into the last nine holes. Although, in the end, the brilliance of last year’s champion Padraig Harrington came through, Norman’s third place has been widely hailed as one of the great Open performances of all time.
It’s also testament to the powers of physical and psychological well-being. Norman looked in great shape for a 53 year old (he looked ten years younger) and he also looked incredibly happy and relaxed. Much has been made this week of the bitter divorce that cost him dearly. On the other hand his recent marriage to former tennis star Chris Evert has reportedly been the key to his rehabilitation, he spoke in interviews about the strength and balance he took from having his ‘soul-mate’ around.
During his glittering career in the ‘80s and ‘90s he was the World Number 1 for over five years (a record), but he only won two major tournaments and earned a reputation as someone who threw winning positions away under pressure. Norman’s battles with his demons were well known, but this weekend they were banished - I suspect permanently. He displayed a mental approach that was characterised by well-being and positive psychology, as he coped with the enormous mounting pressure. And you could see him using his maturity to enable him to smile when things didn’t go his way – he was resilient.
Unlike, the eventual winner Padraig Harrington, Norman had no official right to be walking onto the 18th green at Royal Birkdale to receive the adulation of the huge and appreciative crowd on the final day of the Open. Although he didn’t win, I suspect that as someone who never thought they would experience that buzz again he feels like a winner this morning!!
