Opinion & Analysis

Scott has an opportunity to shed Norman comparisons

Published

12 years ago

Apr 7, 2014

Now that Tiger Woods has officially withdrawn from the Masters, Adam Scott has an even better chance to reach the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings, and quite soon.

After Scott’s Players Championship victory in 2004, it didn’t seem like it would take 10 more years for the young studly Aussie to make it to the No. 1 spot, even though his emergence did come at the heart of the Tiger Woods Era. The golfing world probably expected Scott to have the immense success that we are currently seeing from the 33 year old about five or so years earlier.

After his breakthrough victory at the 2013 Masters — the second major that Scott participated in after his debacle at the 2012 British Open Championship — Greg Norman, Australian golfing celebrity and former No. 1 player in the world, was a name that was mentioned often throughout Scott’s post-Green Jacket analysis. Scott, as well as many others in the game, referenced The Shark, patriarch to Australian golfing, as “a mentor” to Australia before winning Australia’s first green jacket.

But is that a good thing?

If I were given the option of writing this article (which I am sincerely having a lot of fun doing by the way) or pursuing a golfing career half as good as Norman’s, I would definitely love the opportunity to take the latter. However, when people think of Greg Norman, their first impressions are of a guy who didn’t leave it all out there. I know that criticizing the career of a former No. 1 player in the world, a man who won two majors and has 89 worldwide wins to his name is a little “nit-picky,” but that’s his legacy.

I draw parallels between Scott and Norman at this specific time for one particular reason, which has everything to do with Tiger’s hiatus from the game. But first, it’s also interesting to note how similar the careers and personalities of the mentor and protégé relationship of Norman and Scott are. Both are iconic national celebrities from their homeland of Australia. And if Scott finds success in his next few events, that is if Rory, Phil, or Jason Day don’t go on some sort of tear, Scott and Norman will have both reached the No. 1 spot in the OWGR. Both are tall, handsome, physically fit and extremely charismatic individuals who have built immense financial success off the golf course due to such characteristics.

The comparison between Scott, with regards to the above point, and Norman is that there wasn’t a polarizing and dominant figure like Tiger present in the game during Norman’s career. One could argue that Nick Faldo’s six major championships in the 80s and 90s was some stiff competition, but it’s not the same.

In a handful of majors, Norman was on the wrong end of some unfortunate scenarios, which, had they gone the other way, might have us talking about Norman in the same light as a Lee Trevino, or maybe even Tom Watson. In 1996, Norman shot a final-round 78 at the Masters where he began the day with a six-shot lead. Ten years earlier, he had the lead going into Sunday in all four Majors and only came out with one win. In 1983, after holing a putt to force an 18-hole Monday playoff at the U.S. Open, Norman shot a final-round 75 to lose to eventual champ Fuzzy Zoeller.

Most famously at the 1987 Masters, Norman’s playoff opponent, Larry Mize, pulled off one of the most famous shots in Masters history, holing his third shot on No. 11 from 45 yards to grab the green jacket.

While two major championship victories and becoming the first player in golf to earn $10 million is nothing to criticize, it is hard to look past what could have been for Australia’s most decorated golfer (at least for now). In an article in Golf World Magazine about how, outside of Woods, Norman is the golfer who has performed at the highest level during the past 34 years, Jamie Diaz discussed the very well document disappointments in Norman’s career.

“Between his failures down the stretch in majors and the backlash from his highly marketed Great White Shark image, it has been common in recent years to hear Norman characterized as overrated.” Diaz also went on to say that “The Shark’s cross to bear will always be his inefficiency at closing out majors.”

With the state of Tiger Woods 3.0 being up in the air, there is an opportunity here for Scott to fully break away from some demon’s in his career, ones that have haunted his fellow countryman and mentor.

It will be nearly two years this July when Adam Scott bogeyed his final four holes at the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. It was truly painful to watch par putt after par putt just miss the cup in what many anticipated to be Scott’s major breakthrough campaign. Although Scott did back that heartbreaking Open Championship loss with his best season yet as a pro in 2013, which was highlighted by two incredible putts to win the Green Jacket, we did see a glimpse of 2012 just a few weeks back at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Scott entered the weekend at Arnie’s event with a seven-shot lead, where he ended up losing by two shots to Matt Every after firing a 76 on Sunday. Had a just a few more putts dropped for Scott, he would have reached the No. 1 spot in the OWGR with a win.

So, now that Tiger hasn’t won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open, and considering that he will be missing the Masters and quite possibly more majors in 2014, a door has been opened. Not to become the next Tiger Woods, because that realistically might never happen, but for a player to take his career to the next level in Woods’ absence. While Rory McIlroy has been labeled as the next big thing after two majors victories at an earlier age than Tiger did, the steps backward he took in 2013 have left his status up in the air.

At this point in time, the person who should break through is Adam Scott. While he has showed some signs of “choke” in him, he can easily separate himself from the pact of the McIlroys, Jason Days and Justin Roses of golf, while eliminating the “negative” comparison’s he shares with his mentor.

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Oliver Berg

Oliver Berg is a golf fanatic whose roots in the game were formed in the rugged and rocky golf links of Southern Ontario, Canada. By putting the pen to paper, or more appropriately, his fingers to the keyboard, Oliver turned his passion for ‘talking golf’ online by starting The High Fade Golf Blog. Oliver works in the digital marketing space in the fashion industry in Toronto and has applied what he’s learned from social media marketing to his own Instagram golf account - @thehighfade. Having grown up in a family of golfers, Oliver was given a special gift at young age from his grandmother -- a pillow that reads “Life’s a game, but Golf is serious” is something that he sleeps beside every night, and he pretty much lives by that!

7 Comments

pk20152

Apr 9, 2014 at 7:18 am

shed comparison? Didn’t he crumble at the British Open 2 years ago ala’ Norman style? Oh, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational?

Reply Report comment
Add

Apr 8, 2014 at 12:43 pm

Scott has already passed Norman by winning Masters with a broomstick.

Reply Report comment
steve

Apr 7, 2014 at 3:01 pm

It seems that era, Norman being the oldest. There was a bunch of underachievers. Norman, Love, Couples all should of had better careers. They were in a nice time to win. Jack was ending and there was no Tiger. Is Norman known for winning or choking?

Reply Report comment
trapp120

Apr 7, 2014 at 2:22 pm

…a lot of people have been close to winning Majors timble. Let’s take Adam Scott for instance!

I think this article is funny.

1.) Australians are tall and handsome

2.) Australians can’t hold on to major leads

3.) Australians can only rise to the #1 spot when there is no perceived competition.

I’m not saying I disagree with the facts that were stated. Norman and Scott clearly blew their very comfortable leads, but I think to infer the “window is closing” for Scott to hit #1 isn’t right.

Let’s look at it this way. Scott has had his chance, an opportunity was right there to grab it. He didn’t. So what if he does in a week? Who cares? It’s clear he’d be barely holding on to it and if past is a good indication of the future, quickly lose it like the rest of the brief #1’s in the last decade.

Reply Report comment
- timbleking
  
  Apr 9, 2014 at 6:38 am
  
  Sorry trapp, but Norman and Scott actually WON Major tournaments. They haven’t been only close to!
  Then, when I read your sum up, perhaps there is a kind of “war” between Americans and Aussies into which I can’t put myself. At least we french guys can argue that we have never been in contention to win a Major (ok, Van De Velde and Levet have been once), so we cannot be considered as competitors to our fellow American colleagues, so we are somehow better accepted (as: “Ok, no danger, he’s French…”). :o)))
  
  Reply Report comment
timbleking

Apr 7, 2014 at 10:26 am

Wow! That’s harsh…

True that Norman had issues to finish the job in Majors, but he has been a great champion for years and close to win back an Open Championship not that a long time ago. He deserves respect, imo.

Reply Report comment
- Ponjo
  
  Apr 8, 2014 at 1:55 pm
  
  Was there a better sight in golf than when the Great White was attacking. The guy oozed confidence and class. Maybe he should have won more but hey, would rather watch him than the robots being rolled out today
  
  Reply Report comment

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Opinion & Analysis

5 Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

2 weeks ago

May 15, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.

Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.

First, meet Min Woo Lee

Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.

Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter

The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.

Third, meet Martin Kaymer

Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.

Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler

Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.

Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger

Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!

Club Junkie

Club Junkie’s Titleist GTS driver fitting results!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.

I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.

To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie WITB, week 16: New Titleist GTS woods!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.

Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s

5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag