Thursday, January 24, 2013

Norman's options: Surgery or retirement

Updated: March 22, 2005, 1:39 PM ET

Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. -- Fearing he might have to retire from golf, two-time British Open champion Greg Norman had back surgery Tuesday and hopes to resume playing within three months.

Norman has cut back on his golf the last two years because of recurring back pain. He played seven times on the PGA Tour last year, but never broke par and made only one cut.

He had to withdraw earlier this month from the Dubai Desert Classic.

"I had a simple choice," Norman said. "Either retire from the game of golf or seek any and all available means to help relieve the pain that has kept me from performing at a level that suits my standards, and at the same time improves my quality of life."

Norman had the 90-minute operation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Joseph Maroon, the neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1977, said Norman is expected to make a full recovery.

Norman turned 50 in February and was expected to play in the Senior PGA Championship in late May at Laurel Valley.

"My desire remains the same, and that is to return to competition as soon as possible," Norman said.

Norman's options: Surgery or retirement

Updated: March 22, 2005, 1:39 PM ET

Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. -- Fearing he might have to retire from golf, two-time British Open champion Greg Norman had back surgery Tuesday and hopes to resume playing within three months.

Norman has cut back on his golf the last two years because of recurring back pain. He played seven times on the PGA Tour last year, but never broke par and made only one cut.

He had to withdraw earlier this month from the Dubai Desert Classic.

Norman turned 50 in February and was expected to play in the Senior PGA Championship in late May at Laurel Valley.

"My desire remains the same, and that is to return to competition as soon as possible," Norman said.

Fact or Fiction: Pondering the Players

Originally Published: March 23, 2005

ESPN.com/Golf Digest

FACT: The Players Championship is referred to as the "fifth major," and ranks as the most prestigious event on the PGA Tour so far this season.

FICTION: The Players Championship is, in fact, the fifth major, on par with the likes of the Masters and U.S. Open.

OK, let's not go too far, but this week's event at TPC-Sawgrass is the most prestigious on the tour schedule this season. Herewith, some of the biggest issues surrounding the tournament.

• TPC-Sawgrass' 17th hole is the most exciting par-3 in golf.

Brian Wacker, assistant editor, GolfDigest.com: FICTION. It's not even the most exciting par-3 among TPCs. That honor goes to the 16th at TPC-Scottsdale, which is also the loudest par-3 in golf. When Tiger Woods holed out there in 1997, the place exploded like maybe like no other hole in golf before or since. But there are also several par-3s that are just better: No. 12 at Augusta, Nos. 7 and 17 at Pebble Beach, to name a few. Take nothing away from what Pete Dye did 25 years ago, but the novelty has worn off when other courses start duplicating your idea. Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but that doesn't necessarily make for the most exciting hole in golf.

Bob Harig, contributor, ESPN.com: FACT. There is no drama anywhere quite like at this island green hole that ordinarily presents what appears to be a relatively easy shot, but has tour pros nervous before they even get to the tee. Winds can sometimes make it trickier, but it's mostly mental as a huge crowd of fans, who can see the hole from many vantage points, waits in anticipation for disaster. It is quite the scene.

Ron Sirak, executive editor, Golf World magazine: FICTION. No. 12 at Augusta National is the most exciting par-3 in golf. It comes in the middle of Amen Corner on the best back nine in golf and has the extra added attraction – and pressure – of being in The Masters. The island green is a gimmick. No. 12 at Augusta, with its tee shielded by trees from the wind, is a brilliant hole.

Jason Sobel, golf editor, ESPN.com: FICTION. Let's defer to Tiger Woods on this one. Earlier this week, he said, "It's all right. It's just more of a TV hole, more for you [media] guys than it is for us." Thanks, but we're not all that enamored with it, Tiger. The hole plays 137 yards to the middle of the green; if players are too intimidated by water to hit a simple wedge shot, well, that's not too exciting, either.

• The Players Championship should be moved to May.

Sobel: FACT. This should be an absolute slam dunk, no-brainer. It wouldn't even have any competition for the month – there's no other big golf tournament; baseball is settling into its second month; the NFL draft is over; the NBA is a long way from its finals; and the NHL is, um, whatever happened to the NHL? Pessimists say the course will be in worse shape in May, but realists know the TV ratings will be better.

Harig: FACT. The so-called "fifth major" gets lost in NCAA Tournament hoopla and the lead-up to The Masters, which is just two weeks away. The tournament would do better to separate itself some from the other majors, and May offers enough of a cushion between The Masters and the U.S. Open to achieve this goal. There are concerns about the TPC-Sawgrass' difficulty at that time of year, but so what? There is a void of big tournaments in May and this would give golf a top-notch event in five consecutive months.

Sirak: FACT. If the Players is moved to May, then the schedule would have The Masters in April, the Players in May, The U.S. Open in June, the British Open in July, the PGA Championship in August and either the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup in September. For six months we would be constantly building toward the next major or major-like event.

Wacker: FACT. The only thing spicy about the tour schedule in May is the barbecue in Texas. Sure, Colonial and the Byron Nelson are nice events, but they are book-ended by the three-year-old Wachovia and the bland FedEx. Moving the Players to May would also give us a (near) major every month from April through August with The Masters in April, Players in May, U.S. Open in June, British Open in July and the PGA in August.

• The Players Championship should be made into a fifth major.

Harig: FICTION. There is no such thing. You don't touch five bases when you hit a Grand Slam home run, hence there should not be five major championships as part of golf's Grand Slam. The Players Championships has positioned itself quite nicely as the next-best tournament in golf, and that should be fine.

Sobel: FICTION. In the name of Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan and all that is good and right with professional golf, let's hope this never happens. This would be the equivalent of a baseball team building a new stadium just to increase revenue for a season. Sure, it would bring more attention to the event, but it would also water down the importance of the four current majors.

Wacker: FICTION. Four majors is plenty. In fact, it's perfect. Four is a nice round number, it's always been four in golf and tennis (except for the five-major Champions Tour, which tells you all you need to know). Not to mention if golf went ahead and declared the Players a fifth major, it really would have to change some of the eligibility requirements for its field. To allow the top 125 players from the previous year's money list just isn't a strict enough standard for a major championship event.

Sirak: FICTION. Why? We have four majors. If they add a fifth major, then the discussion would begin about what the sixth major should be, and the seventh and the eighth. I can see the ad campaigns now: "Come to the B.C. Open – Golf's 36th Major." More is not always better. We have four majors. Let's just say the Players is the best of the non-majors and leave it at that.

Toshiba Senior Classic second-round scores

Updated: March 19, 2005, 9:27 PM ET

Associated Press

Second-round scores from the $1,650,000 Toshiba Senior Classic, played from March 18-20 at Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.

(Par=71)

Mark Johnson               67-63 -- 130  12-under
Keith Fergus               67-66 -- 133  9-under
Tom Jenkins                66-68 -- 134  8-under
Wayne Levi                 66-68 -- 134
Mike Reid                  70-65 -- 135  7-under
Ben Crenshaw               68-67 -- 135
Gil Morgan                 65-70 -- 135
John Bland                 70-66 -- 136  6-under
Dave Eichelberger          68-68 -- 136
Mark McNulty               67-69 -- 136
Lonnie Nielsen             67-69 -- 136
Lanny Wadkins              69-68 -- 137  5-under
Dave Stockton              69-68 -- 137
Hale Irwin                 68-69 -- 137
Tom Purtzer                68-69 -- 137
Bruce Lietzke              67-70 -- 137
Allen Doyle                67-70 -- 137
Morris Hatalsky            67-70 -- 137
D.A. Weibring              72-66 -- 138  4-under
Jim Albus                  71-67 -- 138
Rodger Davis               70-68 -- 138
Jay Sigel                  69-69 -- 138
Brad Bryant                67-71 -- 138
R.W. Eaks                  71-68 -- 139  3-under
Bobby Wadkins              70-69 -- 139
Walter Hall                70-69 -- 139
Vicente Fernandez          68-71 -- 139
Jim Thorpe                 73-67 -- 140  2-under
Tom McKnight               72-68 -- 140
Don Pooley                 70-70 -- 140
Leonard Thompson           69-71 -- 140
J.C. Snead                 67-73 -- 140
Hubert Green               73-68 -- 141  1-under
Tom Wargo                  72-69 -- 141
Bob Gilder                 72-69 -- 141
Hajime Meshiai             71-70 -- 141
David Eger                 71-70 -- 141
Bruce Fleisher             70-71 -- 141
Ed Dougherty               70-71 -- 141
Des Smyth                  68-73 -- 141
Howard Twitty              75-67 -- 142  Even
Jerry Pate                 73-69 -- 142
Joe Inman                  72-70 -- 142
Hugh Baiocchi              72-70 -- 142
Bob Eastwood               71-71 -- 142
Don Reese                  71-71 -- 142
Isao Aoki                  71-71 -- 142
John Harris                70-72 -- 142
Jim Ahern                  68-74 -- 142
James Mason                73-70 -- 143  1-over
Ron Streck                 72-71 -- 143
Curtis Strange             71-72 -- 143
Raymond Floyd              71-72 -- 143
Doug Tewell                71-72 -- 143
Graham Marsh               70-73 -- 143
Dale Douglass              70-73 -- 143
Jim Dent                   69-74 -- 143
Mike McCullough            72-72 -- 144  2-over
Terry Dill                 71-73 -- 144
Larry Nelson               73-72 -- 145  3-over
Dana Quigley               72-73 -- 145
Gary McCord                72-73 -- 145
Fuzzy Zoeller              72-73 -- 145
Charles Coody              71-74 -- 145
Jim Colbert                70-75 -- 145
Bruce Summerhays           68-77 -- 145
Mike Smith                 74-72 -- 146  4-over
Andy Bean                  74-72 -- 146
John Jacobs                70-76 -- 146
Mike Sullivan              75-72 -- 147  5-over
John Fought                74-73 -- 147
Mark McCumber              73-74 -- 147
Pete Oakley                72-76 -- 148  6-over
Pat McGowan                72-76 -- 148
Rocky Thompson             72-77 -- 149  7-over
Gibby Gilbert              76-74 -- 150  8-over
Ed Fiori                   76-75 -- 151  9-over
Paul Hahn                  76-78 -- 154  12-over

Sorenstam four shots back

Updated: March 19, 2005, 10:17 PM ET

Associated Press

SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Ariz. -- Lorena Ochoa isn't the kind to get rattled. Maybe that means the 23-year-old Mexican star also is one of the few who can hold off Annika Sorenstam.

Ochoa gave up a commanding lead with a double bogey on the 16th hole, finishing with a 1-under 71 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Safeway International.

"You always have to have a big number," she said. "I mean, not always, but most of the time in a tournament you have a bad swing, bad shots, bad luck. During a four-day tournament, one of the four days you have the highest round. Hopefully today."

Ochoa, who won twice last year as an LPGA Tour sophomore, had a 13-under 203 total. Playing partner Soo-Yun Kang was second after a 70, and Sorenstam, the defending champion, was four strokes back at 9 under.

Sorenstam, who has rallied in the final round for 18 of her 57 LPGA Tour titles, shot a 72 in the unusually humid, cool conditions, but only lost one shot to Ochoa.

"Anything can happen," Sorenstam said. "I've got to play some good golf tomorrow. Some of the breaks have got to go my way, I've got to make some putts, change some things, obviously go low, but I've done it before."

Rookie Brittany Linicome shot a 66 to join Juli Inkster (69) at 8 under, and Rosie Jones had a 64 -- the best round of the tournament -- to finish at 7 under.

Jones had nine birdies and was on pace for a 63, which would have tied the Prospector Course record set by Cristie Kerr in last year's second round, until she bogeyed the 15th hole.

Almost everyone else struggled to get in the red numbers in heavy, overcast conditions and intermittent drizzle.

Liselotte Neumann had a 70 and Siew-Ai Lim, who shared the first-round lead with Ochoa, shot a 73 to land seven shots back.

Michelle Wie shot a 73 to finish at 3 under. She also had a 73 on Thursday, but rebounded Friday with a 67.

"I had no momentum," said the 15-year-old Wie, who would need a miracle to win for the first time in 19th LPGA Tour starts. "You know, making birdies. I made a couple on the front nine, but back nine was pretty much dead."

Ochoa was cruising at 15 under -- three shots ahead of Kang and seven up on Sorenstam -- when her drive landed in a bush on No. 16. As Ochoa, caddie Tom Thorpe and two marshals looked for the ball, it rolled into view near them.

Officials didn't know if the ball was dislodged by the search, and required Ochoa to re-drop it in the bush, where it stayed without rolling. The unplayable lie cost her a stroke, and Ochoa took two more shots to reach the green and two-putted for a double bogey-6.

But it still left the former University of Arizona player atop the leaderboard.

"You've got a bad hole when you get on this (championship) type of course," said Ochoa, who also bogeyed No. 16 on Thursday and parred it Friday. "I think Annika had a couple bad holes. I made really good birdies on 13 and 14, and it was just meant to happen.

"I'm just fine and I'm in the lead and I feel very comfortable."

Her race with Kang for the lead turned on the 13th hole, the longest on the course at 552 yards, where both teed off tied at 13 under.

Ochoa hit a wood out of the rough on her second shot, leaving herself a 90-yard wedge to the green, and sank a 10-foot putt for a birdie. But Kang, in the long grass on her third shot, couldn't get the ball to stop and three-putted from 16 feet, giving Ochoa a two-shot lead.

Both birdied the 14th hole, but Kang bogeyed the 15th when she two-putted after a bunker shot.

Ochoa, who had 14 birdies in her first two rounds, parred the first five holes before rolling in consecutive birdies putts on Nos. 6 and 7.

But Kang stayed with her, and moved into a tie at 13 under with a par on the 12th hole, a par-3 where Ochoa's tee shot landed in a greenside bunker. Ochoa blasted out well, but two-putted from 8 feet for her third bogey of the event.

Sorenstam, the lowest scorer on the tour four consecutive years, was another example of the difficult conditions. She birdied the first hole, double-bogeyed the third, birdied the ninth, bogeyed the 17th and birdied the 18th.