Greg Norman: Woods is 'intimidated' by McIlroy

[RonTheSavage]

Originally Posted by RayG

Masters- 72, 75 T40

Players- 72, 73 T40

US Open- 75, 73 T21

Barclays- 72, 76 T38

Not to mention missing more cuts than in his career previous or something.

Not exactly instilling fear into the competition

Maybe the young guys to a lessor extent but 14 Majors does that on it's own

[RayG]

Maybe the young guys to a lessor extent but 14 Majors does that on it's own

True- maybe I should have quantified that with a "lately". He just isn't the same threat he used to be.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by RayG

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonTheSavage

Maybe the young guys to a lessor extent but 14 Majors does that on it's own

True- maybe I should have quantified that with a "lately". He just isn't the same threat he used to be.

Of course he isn't. Nobody ever has, or ever will be, the thread Tiger Woods was in 2000 for example.

[k-troop]

Jack's response to Greg's comments.  Notice he stayed away from the comment about Greg taking his torch.  From PGATour.com.

Greg Norman created quite a stir earlier this week when he told FoxSports.com that he felt Tiger Woods was "really intimidated" by Rory McIlroy, the 23-year-old Northern Irishman with four wins this season.

The two players, who have a friendly rivalry, played down those comments on Wednesday on the eve of the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, where they are playing together in today’s first round. The subject also came up during an interview Jack Nicklaus did on ESPN 980 in Washington, D.C.

“Quiet Greg, quiet," Nicklaus said. "Down boy. I think Tiger had a pretty darn good year this year. It’s the first time he has gotten himself back into contention in the majors, he didn’t finish them and I think by his own admission he said he had a hard time finishing them. That’s like anything else. He had a pretty big event in his life that changed a lot of things and he has to learn how to go back and play again. I think he’s learned how to play again, now he has to learn how to finish again. I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him."

At the same time, though, Nicklaus went on to say that Woods has more competition than he once did. The Golden Bear noted that players like McIlroy and Keegan Bradley — "and I could probably name a half dozen other guys," he said — learned to win while Woods was injured and later revamping his swing.

"They’re not scared of him anymore," Nicklaus said. "Before Tiger just showed up coming down the stretch and everybody said ‘oh there’s Tiger and I wilt.’ They don’t do that anymore. Tiger’s got his work cut out for him but I don’t think Tiger is by any means finished. I just think Tiger is too good of an athlete and too good of a player.”

[newtogolf]

I agree with Jack 100%, these young guys don't fear Tiger the way the older guys did.  As for Norman, he's right there with Miceli and Brandel, "has beens" trying to remain relevant by making stupid comments about Tiger.  Norman should let his past golf performance speak for itself and talk less, I like him better that way.

Originally Posted by k-troop

Jack's response to Greg's comments.  Notice he stayed away from the comment about Greg taking his torch.  From PGATour.com.

“Quiet Greg, quiet," Nicklaus said. "Down boy. I think Tiger had a pretty darn good year this year. It’s the first time he has gotten himself back into contention in the majors, he didn’t finish them and I think by his own admission he said he had a hard time finishing them. That’s like anything else. He had a pretty big event in his life that changed a lot of things and he has to learn how to go back and play again. I think he’s learned how to play again, now he has to learn how to finish again. I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him."

At the same time, though, Nicklaus went on to say that Woods has more competition than he once did. The Golden Bear noted that players like McIlroy and Keegan Bradley — "and I could probably name a half dozen other guys," he said — learned to win while Woods was injured and later revamping his swing.

"They’re not scared of him anymore," Nicklaus said. "Before Tiger just showed up coming down the stretch and everybody said ‘oh there’s Tiger and I wilt.’ They don’t do that anymore. Tiger’s got his work cut out for him but I don’t think Tiger is by any means finished. I just think Tiger is too good of an athlete and too good of a player.”

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I agree with Jack 100%, these young guys don't fear Tiger the way the older guys did.  As for Norman, he's right there with Miceli and Brandel, "has beens" trying to remain relevant by making stupid comments about Tiger.  Norman should let his past golf performance speak for itself and talk less, I like him better that way.

May be a little harsh to compare Norman to Chamblee or Miceli; I mean Greg did win something like 50 tournaments, 2 majors, 330+ weeks at #1, and he's in the HoF.  Not to mention he's one of the most successful golf businessmen in the history of the game.  He also knows a little something about internal demons.

I do agree that some of his comments about Tiger have, of late, been out of left field, and probably were more about Greg than Tiger.

I also don't agree that putting himself on the same plane as Jack and Arnie was exactly right, but it's hard to argue for another golfer being "the dominant player" between Jack and Tiger, besides him and Watson.  Watson started his streak of winning towards the end of Jack's career, and Greg's first PGA Tour win (1984) was the year after Watson's last Major win (1983).  Greg was the original #1 in OWGR, and he held that spot, on and off, over half of the time between 1986 and 1996.  Greg's last win was 1997...and we know what else happened that year.

[newtogolf]

I was a bit harsh but this isn't Norman's first stupid comment about Tiger so he's getting close to the Miceli / Chamblee zone.  He did have a good career, he won a lot of tournaments but only 20 were on PGA Tour so not sure how the rest of his wins rank him compared to others with more PGA Tour wins.   Does he rank higher than Watson, Singh, Demaret, Trevino, Miller or even Davis Love III who all have the same or more PGA Tour wins than he does?

I get that he's a good business man and like Donald Trump he knows any publicity is good publicity but his comments about Tiger are as relevant and insightful as Trumps on Rosie.

Originally Posted by k-troop

May be a little harsh to compare Norman to Chamblee or Miceli; I mean Greg did win something like 50 tournaments, 2 majors, 330+ weeks at #1, and he's in the HoF.  Not to mention he's one of the most successful golf businessmen in the history of the game.  He also knows a little something about internal demons.

I do agree that some of his comments about Tiger have, of late, been out of left field, and probably were more about Greg than Tiger.

I also don't agree that putting himself on the same plane as Jack and Arnie was exactly right, but it's hard to argue for another golfer being "the dominant player" between Jack and Tiger, besides him and Watson.  Watson started his streak of winning towards the end of Jack's career, and Greg's first PGA Tour win (1984) was the year after Watson's last Major win (1983).  Greg was the original #1 in OWGR, and he held that spot, on and off, over half of the time between 1986 and 1996.  Greg's last win was 1997...and we know what else happened that year.

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I was a bit harsh but this isn't Norman's first stupid comment about Tiger so he's getting close to the Miceli / Chamblee zone.  He did have a good career, he won a lot of tournaments but only 20 were on PGA Tour so not sure how the rest of his wins rank him compared to others with more PGA Tour wins.   Does he rank higher than Watson, Singh, Demaret, Trevino, Miller or even Davis Love III who all have more PGA Tour wins than he does?

I get that he's a good business man and like Donald Trump he knows any publicity is good publicity but his comments about Tiger are as relevant and insightful as Trumps on Rosie.

Fair point about Greg's wins.  20 PGA Tour wins, 12 Euro wins, and 31 Aussie Tour wins, and then some "others".  The Euro Tour wasn't that big of a deal for the majority of his wins, and the Australian Tour has never been.  But 11 of his Aussie wins have been in the Australian Masters and Australian Open, which have always been pretty big events.  So I'd give him credit for 40-45 with the 2 majors.

[newtogolf]

That's fair, still doesn't put him close to Arnie, Jack or Tiger so he's a bit off on his self-evaluation of where he fits with the legends.

Originally Posted by k-troop

Fair point about Greg's wins.  20 PGA Tour wins, 12 Euro wins, and 31 Aussie Tour wins, and then some "others".  The Euro Tour wasn't that big of a deal for the majority of his wins, and the Australian Tour has never been.  But 11 of his Aussie wins have been in the Australian Masters and Australian Open, which have always been pretty big events.  So I'd give him credit for 40-45 with the 2 majors.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

That's fair, still doesn't put him close to Arnie, Jack or Tiger so he's a bit off on his self-evaluation of where he fits with the legends.

Quote:

Originally Posted by k-troop

Fair point about Greg's wins.  20 PGA Tour wins, 12 Euro wins, and 31 Aussie Tour wins, and then some "others".  The Euro Tour wasn't that big of a deal for the majority of his wins, and the Australian Tour has never been.  But 11 of his Aussie wins have been in the Australian Masters and Australian Open, which have always been pretty big events.  So I'd give him credit for 40-45 with the 2 majors.

The arrogance of Greg Norman knows no bounds, but I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and suggest he was referring to the timeline rather than the level of domination. I still think that does a disservice to Watson, Ballesteros, and Faldo, but he's not completely wrong. Just mostly.

[zipazoid]

Quote:

“Quiet Greg, quiet," Nicklaus said. "Down boy. I think Tiger had a pretty darn good year this year. It’s the first time he has gotten himself back into contention in the majors, he didn’t finish them and I think by his own admission he said he had a hard time finishing them. That’s like anything else. He had a pretty big event in his life that changed a lot of things and he has to learn how to go back and play again. I think he’s learned how to play again, now he has to learn how to finish again. I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him."

Jack = Class.

Greg = Classless.

Dude not only never 'took over' from Jack, he should never be mentioned in the same breath as him. As to the 'intimidated' comment, how are you so sure of this, Greg? The answer is, he's not. He's talking our his ass, which is typical of him.

[kathybhylton]

Originally Posted by mvmac

I think Tiger feels like he has a lot in common with Rory, especially the part about being golf phenoms and under the spotlight of the media.

Tiger is handling the competition well. He understand pour skills and talent and he saw it in Rory. Maybe he thinks that the spotlight is not in him now.

[stogiesnbogies]

When did Greg "The Great Choker" Norman become the official psychiatric spokesman for the PGA Tour? Although, I will concede that Norman has much experience at being mentally intimidated...

This is yet another example of Norman's outsized ego...he needs to find ways to stay in the golf press after long concluding his vastly under-performing career.

[divot dave]

Quote:

“It takes 10,000 hours of hard work to get to the top and stay there – that’s 10 years of hitting a lot of golf balls..."

so i'm guessing he's a supporter of The Dan Plan?

[grashoper]

Greg Norman,you should talk.

Your choke at the Masters was one of the worst,only surpassed by your choke with Everett.

I know some might think I am getting personal,however,this is not the first time Norman has" taken his eyes past" Tiger.( a term used when one disrespects another).

Why don't you stick to Wine,you seem to be good at that.(whining).