Lleyton caddying for Greg Norman Dec 9-14
Old Shark still shows some bite
By Peter Stone
Coolum
December 14, 2003
Greg Norman concedes he cannot win the $1 million Australian PGA championship at
Coolum, but vows to go out with all guns blazing in the final round today.
Yesterday, he gave the 5000 spectators a touch of the Shark of old with a
seven-birdie haul along the way to a six-under 66, which catapulted him to nine
under the card after 54 holes.
But veteran Peter Senior nailed a huge birdie putt on the 18th to sit an
extraordinary 18 under, extending his lead to five shots from Craig Parry, Rod
Pampling and Wade Ormsby, who had a sensational 63 yesterday.
Norman is nine behind Senior, and yesterday was still rueing three holes on
Friday - two of them double bogeys - that virtually put him out of contention.
While Norman never contemplated missing the cut, tournament officials were
getting twitchy.
"Apart from those three holes yesterday, I would have been right there. The cut
never entered my head. I knew I was playing well and it was just a matter of
staying patient to get him (former world No. 1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt) for
two extra rounds on the bag, so his shoulder gets really sore," Norman said.
"I'm going to have a crack at it, anyway. I'd like to shoot a really low score
tomorrow and then we'll see what happens."
The coupling of Norman and Hewitt has been a promotional masterpiece. "It's been
fabulous," Norman said. "I know he's enjoying it. I'm enjoying his company
(they've virtually been inseparable for the week, dining together each night). I
think he is seeing our sport in a different light, which is great.
"When you play a practice round with these guys, you don't really get into it
like you do in a tournament. He's seeing it from a top-echelon perspective. How
we keep control of ourselves when we get mad. I said to him yesterday, 'Man, I
just really want to let go of it right now, but I can't.' He said, 'I know. We
can get away with it, we can break a racquet, we can hit a ball back as hard as
we possibly can because it means nothing. You guys miss a shot out there and
you're out of it.' "
Scott Gardiner, who has promised much but delivered little since turning
professional and has had a rocky year, showed signs of form in the past three
days and is 12 under. He returned from Europe after the British Open in July for
three weeks to recharge the batteries, intending to return, but didn't. A virus
and back problems didn't help, but one also suspects a little home-sickness may
have been involved.
"I wasn't motivated, I wasn't enjoying it. I just wanted to get some enjoyment
back in the game," Gardiner said. He would have enjoyed yesterday, a bogey-free
seven-under 65 - a round he wasn't confident of repeating.
Adam Scott, who finished with a wet sail to reach a play-off in the Australian
Masters last weekend, is even further back this time after a disappointing 74.
Popular Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, meanwhile, had a third successive 69 to sit
at nine under and is in a strong position for a top-10 finish.
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/13/1071125713099.html
GOLF: Hewitt a natural – we didn't notice him
By GEOFF ROACH
12dec03
ROOKIE caddy Lleyton Hewitt has a golden future in the role if ever he decides
to give up tennis.
That was the unanimous, tongue-in-cheek verdict of his player, Greg Norman,
third-placed Rod Pampling and a swag of experienced Tour caddies after the
Wimbledon and US Open tennis champion made an auspicious carrying debut at the
Australian PGA championship yesterday.
Looking as though he had been performing the task for years, Hewitt, who had
asked Norman for the job, smoothly handled every chore as the Shark birdied five
of his final 11 holes and the last three in a row to finish at five-under 67.
Norman's regular caddy, Tony Navarro, who shadowed the group from outside the
ropes, liked the way Hewitt carried the bag on his left shoulder – no doubt to
avoid strain on his favoured right – and praised the studied manner in which he
consulted his yardage book and cleaned the ball.
Pampling, who played with Norman, was equally generous.
"We really didn't see him at all. Obviously he was there but never at any stage
did we have to ask him to move. He knew what he was doing," he said.
Finally, Norman was ecstatic with the success of the arrangement.
"From a pure friendship point of view it is wonderful," he said.
"I thought it was wonderful he even asked me could he do it. And I knew he would
be a natural for it because he's a sportsman.
"He never got in the way today and he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew
the yardages and where the pins were. There was not one situation where I
thought `is he OK?' He was great, absolutely phenomenal.
"Now I have to come down to the tennis and watch him play, carry his racquets
onto the court and see how he goes."
Immaculately attired in a white polo shirt, navy shorts and white Nike cap with
the brim even facing the front, the Australian Davis Cup team hero looked, if
anything, a shade too immaculate to be a regular Tour caddy as he marched onto
the tee with Norman at precisely 7.35am.
With the temperature already hitting 26C and the humidity at 90 per cent, he was
far more sensibly attired than the Shark, who, inexplicably for a Queenslander,
was clad in black hat, navy trousers and a heavy-knit grey shirt which was
soaked with perspiration from the practice fairway.
In stark contrast to the frenetic, noise-filled atmosphere in which Hewitt
performs his sporting heroics, there was only respectful silence from the
2000-strong gallery, many of them teenage girls, grouped around the 10th green
as Norman hit a perfect 3 wood to start proceedings.
For the first time in 13 years Norman carried his own yardage book and the pair
liaised frequently on approach shots, most of which came up 10m short of the pin
for the first seven holes which Norman parred.
But from the 17th onwards, where Norman holed a 5m putt for the first of his
five birdies, everything fell into place.
---------------------------------
Shark does hard yards with tennis ace
Bernie Pramberg
Herald Sun
12dec03
GREG Norman's new best buddy Lleyton Hewitt's debut as a golf caddie did not
stretch the friendship as the Shark shot a hot opening-round 67 at the
Australian PGA Championship yesterday.
Norman and celebrity caddie Hewitt, former World No. 1s in their respective
sports, made a perfect doubles combination on the lush Hyatt Coolum course.
Although tennis ace Hewitt looked the part -- cleaning clubs, wiping the ball,
tending the flagstick and fingering his yardage book -- it was Norman who made
all the decisions.
"We both had yardage books and it's the first time in about 13 years that I've
carried one," Norman said.
"I double-checked with Lleyton. He was a backup to make sure I didn't screw up."
Norman, 48, who said he would never have considered using a "celebrity caddie"
in his prime, said he was delighted Hewitt had asked some time ago if he could
carry the Shark's bag at Coolum.
"From a pure friendship point of view, it's wonderful," Norman said.
"He's a sportsman and knew exactly what he was doing. He knew the yardages, knew
where the pins were and was spot-on.
"If you have a smart sportsman's head on your shoulders, you respect the sport
you are playing. He was absolutely phenomenal."
Hewitt, who was all business on course and never lapsed into a trademark "C'mon"
cry, was beaming after Norman finished with three successive birdies for his
five-under par 67.
"Yeah, I had fun . . . I really enjoyed it out there," Hewitt said.
Norman pledged to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne to watch Hewitt in
action.
"Maybe I can carry his racquets. I've never been to the tennis centre in
Melbourne and I told Lleyton I'd love to go," Norman said.
"The last time I was at an Australian Open it was on grasscourts back in the
late 1970s."
Norman hit off on the 10th tee early yesterday morning and twice came up short
of his target, on the 12th and par-three 14th, but absolved his caddie of all
blame.
"I had the right club, but just didn't hit it solid," Norman said.
Rod Pampling, who played alongside Norman and leads the tournament with a 65,
said Hewitt had acted like a professional caddie.
"We really didn't see him out there. He never got in the way and knew exactly
what he was doing," Pampling said.
The man under least pressure yesterday was Norman's long-time caddie Tony
Navarro, who watched his boss as an anonymous spectator from outside the ropes.
---------------------------
Hewitt finds place in the sun as safety net for Shark
By Peter Stone
December 12, 2003
Former world No.1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt looked every bit the golf caddie
- towel slung over the shoulder, yardage book in hand and quiet words of
encouragement laced with unbridled enthusiasm when appropriate - and, in the
end, he brought his man home with a five-under 67.
Mind you, for a while it looked like it might be a struggle for the other former
world No.1 - Greg Norman - as frustration built through the first seven holes of
the opening round of the $1 million Australian PGA championship at Coolum when
all that was written on the card were pars.
As a publicity stunt for the tournament, the odd couple pairing of Norman and
Hewitt was a box-office hit. More than 2000 spectators lined the opening fairway
at 7.40am, among them many kids. Whether they were there to watch Hewitt or
Norman was not clear. Perhaps a bit of both.
There was no doubting who the older folk had come to see. The Shark has always
had that special magnetism. Always will, just as Arnold Palmer has in the
States. And when Norman finally made a birdie on the 17th, his eighth hole, they
erupted with one old chap shouting: "That's what we've bloody well been waiting
for all morning."
On arrival at the 10th tee to set off in company with fellow Queenslander Rod
Pampling and young Victorian Marcus Fraser, Norman looked like he'd come
straight from the set of his latest television commercial for Toyota. His shirt
was drenched in perspiration which may well become the look of this decade for
those born in the 1950s.
Hewitt stood aside as the players and other caddies greeted each other. We can't
tell whether his stomach was churning with nerves - as once again he declined an
interview, save to say he'd thoroughly enjoyed himself - but he soon slipped
into the rhythm.
But, just as a double check, Norman carried his own yardage book. It's 13 years
since he last clubbed himself, in the golfing sense rather than in the locker
room after a poor round. "Lleyton was a back-up to make sure I didn't screw up,
and he never missed a beat. He was spot-on all the time," Norman said.
"I think from a pure friendship point of view, it was wonderful [to have Hewitt
as a caddy]. When you are in your prime, you don't even think about doing
anything like this. I thought it was a wonderful thing that he even asked me if
he could do it.
"As soon as he asked me, I knew I had to do it, he would be a natural for it.
He's a sportsman. He never got in the way today and he knew exactly what he was
doing. He knew the yardages and he knew where the pins were. There wasn't one
situation where I thought: 'Is he OK?' He was great, absolutely phenomenal,"
Norman said.
Norman's regular caddy Tony Navarro tracked them from behind the ropes. Was he
suffering withdrawal symptoms? "No," he said. "I get to stay in the shade."
But, when Norman finished with three straight birdies to sign for his 67,
Navarro had a broad smile. "Hey bud, good shots coming in," he said to Norman
when they met up afterwards.
Some have argued that The Shark can't be serious about this week but, after his
opening round, he's entitled to raise a finger in the direction of his
detractors. Still, as the golfers say, let's take it one shot at a time, one
hole at a time, etc. Let's see what comes come week's end.
"When the gun goes off, my concentration is the same and my application is the
same. I think it was probably good for me to do my own yardages every now and
then to get myself more into the game than I have in the past. I think it is
more of an asset than a liability."
After signing his card, another slightly built youngster was introduced to him.
They'd never met before but Norman did send his warm congratulations to Nick
Flanagan after he won the US Amateur championship a couple of months ago.
Flanagan then sat at the back of Norman's press conference, hanging on the great
man's words.
But, for Hewitt, there is a return of favour coming. Norman has never seen
Hewitt play tennis live and has brought forward his arrival for February's
Heineken Classic appearance to January 28 to be at the Melbourne Tennis Centre
for the Australian Open.
"I've told him, 'Your arse had better be in it'," Norman said when asked of the
possibility that Hewitt might not be around at that stage in the second week of
the Open. "If he's not, we'll go play golf. It's as simple as that."
This story was found at:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/11/1071125600314.html
Offseason moonlighting
Tennis star Hewitt caddying for Norman at Australian PGA
Posted: Thursday December 11, 2003 1:49AM; Updated: Thursday December 11, 2003
1:49AM
CNN/SI
COOLUM, Australia (AP) -- It made for an odd sight Thursday, both Greg Norman
and Lleyton Hewitt doing things they'd never usually do, on or off a golf
course.
There was Norman, yardage book in hand, trying to find sprinkler heads or other
markers on the fairway to judge the distance to the green.
And Hewitt, the former world No. 1 tennis player and -- this week -- a makeshift
caddie, with his Nike hat on frontwards, a wet towel draped over his shoulder,
dressed in casual blue shorts and carting Norman's clubs in steamy 90 degree
temperatures.
It was the first round of the Australian PGA tournament at the Hyatt Regency
resort course, and the crowds predictably followed the pair, one Australia's
most famous golfing son, the other one of its most popular tennis players.
Norman, trying to win his first tournament in more than five years, made his own
club selection most of the time as he shot an opening-round 5-under 67, two
shots off the lead.
"I probably haven't used a yardage book in 13 years," said Norman. "I had to
keep reminding myself to pull it out of my pocket."
The idea was spawned a few months ago during one of the many phone calls between
the close friends, and after Hewitt, 22, asked the 48-year-old Norman if he
could carry his bag in a tournament.
Norman still brought his longtime caddie, Tony Navarro, with him to Australia
but Hewitt will be on Norman's bag at least until Friday and the weekend -- if
Norman makes the cut.
"As soon as he asked me, I said 'you got to do it, it would be a natural,' "
said Norman. "He never got in the way today, he knew the yardages, and there
wasn't one situation where I thought 'was he OK.'
"He's been under those circumstances, and if you've got a smart sportsman's head
on your shoulders then you respect the sport you're playing. He told me he
enjoyed it very much today."
Navarro should be thankful for a few days off, particularly in the hot
subtropical temperatures. But he shouldn't be worried about losing his job to
Hewitt.
"Normally Tony, when I walk on the tee, he'll tell me the yardage, where the pin
is, where the bunkers are and where to hit it," said Norman. "Lleyton was a
backup, making sure I didn't screw up. He never missed a beat."
The 8-handicapper Hewitt, often having to acknowledge frequent "G'day Lleytons"
from the crowd, seemed uncomfortable so exposed outside the smaller confines of
a tennis court and without a racket in his hand.
On the first hole -- Norman's 10th Thursday -- a 15-foot birdie putt rolled in,
Norman's second of the day. When Hewitt walked up to Norman after the putt,
there were no high-fives, backslaps or even handshakes. Hewitt grabbed Norman's
putter, the two strode off the green and Norman managed a brief smile.
Norman had birdies on his final three holes, including his last where the ball
did a circle around the cup before dropping.
The celebrity pair were often a sideshow to Australian Rod Pampling, a member of
the same group who went on a streak of six birdies in eight holes to take the
tournament lead with a 65.
"He [Hewitt] knew exactly what he was doing, he was never in the way," said
Pampling.
Norman fended off criticism that he could not be serious about winning the
tournament if he was using a celebrity caddie.
"I don't think it's a serious point of view," said Norman. "I think when the gun
goes off, my concentration is the same. I think it's actually good for me to do
my own yardages every now and then to get myself more into the game than I have
in the past.
"You are looking at the yardage, you're calculating where the green shapes are.
Instead of just getting the yardage and getting the club out, which you do in
your prime, now it helps you gear into it a bit more. I think it's more of an
asset than a liability."
Greg Norman Interview - 11 December 2003
11 December 2003
Greg, a slow start?
It was frustrating because I did not make anything. I got a very bad break on
the third hole I played today but struggled out of that with a par. I’m just not
used to putting on very slow greens. That’s all it is. My timing is different,
even though we practiced on the putting green. But you get out there and you
don’t feel you want to hit it as hard as you need to hit it. I have never been a
hitter of the putter. I’ve always been a stroker. It just took me a while to get
my timing right. You have a tendency of over-swinging, thinking you have to hit
it harder, and you decelerate a little and you are getting less hit on it. I had
to shorten my stroke up over the last four or five holes and get more of a hit
on the ball. It is a horrible feeling, as far as I am concerned.
What did you hit in to 12?
Four iron. It must have kicked off and rolled…
Did you have enough club?
I caught it a little toey. I had the right club. If I hit it solid, it was going
to be okay. The pin position did not look as close as what it was to the front
of the green. On the pin sheet it did not look as close. I would rather hit it
long than short because even in the front bunker I would not have had a shot. I
think that pin was a little bit out, to tell the truth…I would have played it
long left, tried to hit the back left corner. Because then if you miss the shot,
you would have a lot of room, like where Rod was. He was perfect. You’d get it
up and down out of there 11 out of 10 times.
A lot has been written about Lleyton…
You have written a lot about him? Tennis or as a caddie? I think from a pure
friendship point of view, it is wonderful. When you are playing in your prime,
you don’t even think about doing anything like this. I thought it was a
wonderful thing that he even asked me if he could do it, number one. As soon as
he asked me I thought he had to do it, he would be a natural for it. He’s a
sportsman He never got in the way today and he knew exactly what he was doing.
He knew the yardages, he knew where the pins were. There was not one situation
where I thought, Is he okay? He’s been under those circumstances, whether it is
tennis or whether it is golf or any other sport. If you have a smart sportsman’s
head on your shoulders, you respect the sport you are playing. He was great,
absolutely phenomenal.
You both had yardage books. Were you taking your yardages or his?
We both double checked. It was the first time I’d used a yardage book in
probably 13 years. I had to keep reminding myself to pull it out of my pocket as
I walked off the green and start looking at it as I walked to the tee. Normally
when I walk on the tee Tony will tell me where the pin is, where the bunkers are
and where to hit it. Lleyton was a back-up, to make sure I didn’t screw up.
Yesterday I looked at a pin position from the ninth hole, had a yardage from the
ninth hole and I was on the 10th. Those stupid little things. I was only about
35 out. He was a good back-up and he never missed a beat. He was spot-on all the
time.
Did he enjoy it?
I think so.
Did he say anything after the round?
He said that was a great finish. We are going back to the villa now. We don’t
need the whole world to know but I am sure he had a good time. Like I said, I
now have to come down to the tennis and watch him play, carry his racquets onto
the course and see how he goes.
Are you going to the Australian Open?
I told him I’d never been to the Tennis Centre for the Australian Open. The last
time I was there it was on grass courts. That was back in the late 1970s. I’d
love to go. I leave to come back down here about the 28th of January so that is
perfect timing. But I told him, Your arse had better still be in it. But if he’s
not, we’ll go play golf. It’s as simple as that.
Did the finish today give you a kick?
It was a bit of a kick. I said to myself when I missed the putt on the sixth
hole, All you have to do is finish three of the last four and you’ll be in good
shape. You don’t expect it to happen but I trigger myself a little bit to try
and get myself going. When I made that putt on the seventh hole and then hit
that shot into eight, I thought maybe we could finish birdie-eagle-birdie. I was
hitting the ball fairly well. It wasn’t like I was scrapping it around and I
felt very comfortable doing it.
Did you hit three wood there?
Yes, into the breeze, 245.
How long was the putt?
Probably about 15, 14 feet.
What do you think of Rod Pampling.
Rod played very well. He played very crisp golf, which is what I call it. His
second iron shots were really sharp. He only hit one bad one, which I think was
on the par five. Every other one was crisp. He takes a lot of divot, his
distance control is excellent. On these greens it is sometimes hard to do that
because you don’t know whether you are hitting into the grain or down grain.
Sometimes it is hard to judge. He putted great. He made all the good putts. He
struggled early on too, with his speed, and made a quicker adjustment than I
did, about three or four holes before I did. I think he made four or five in a
row today.
You said earlier that you would never have had a celebrity caddie in your prime.
Does that mean that…
I am not in my prime? Is that what you are saying? That I am not in my prime?
I’m pretty confident in saying that I am not in my prime. When I was in my prime
I was probably 35, a hell of a lot younger.
There have been some eyebrows raised about Lleyton, that you can’t be serious
about this golf tournament…(inaudible).
John McEnroe said that? I don’t think it is a seriousness point of view. When
the gun goes off, my concentration is the same and my application is the same. I
think it is probably good for me to do my own yardages every now and then to get
myself more into the game than I have been in the past. You are looking at the
yardages, calculating, looking at the carry over the green, the green shape.
Instead of just walking up there, getting a yardage and pulling a club out,
which you do in your prime, you are really primed up then. Now it helps to gear
into it a little bit better. I think it is more an asset than a liability. John
McEnroe. Where the hell did that come from? John McEnroe has never been serious
in his whole life.
Bagman Hewitt won't collect the cash
December 10, 2003
With Lleyton Hewitt carrying his bag, Greg Norman won't have to look far for
fighting spirit at the Australian PGA at Coolum, writes Peter Stone.
Lleyton Hewitt will do the hard work, carrying the bag and cooling Greg Norman
if necessary in the heat of the moment. But the Shark's regular caddie for the
past decade - Tony Navarro - will be watching intently from behind the ropes and
will be pocketing a percentage of any winnings.
It's one of golf's more unusual scenarios in the $1 million Australian PGA
championship, starting tomorrow at the Hyatt Regency Coolum course, where the
former world No.1 golfer has enlisted the former world No.1 tennis player as his
bagman for the week in Australia's second-oldest tournament.
Hewitt is no mug golfer. He plays off eight at The Grange in Adelaide and
Melbourne's National course. And he's a dab hand at fist pumping, which Norman
hopes there will be plenty of if the birdies come home to roost in the next four
days.
But yesterday, while Norman and Navarro were quite happy to talk of what lies
ahead, Hewitt kept his silence, courteously declining requests for interviews.
Maybe that's a lesson learned in his chats with Norman, which have apparently
included dealing with the media.
Mind you, the media were a restless bunch at Coolum yesterday. Initially, Norman
was slotted in for a press conference at 10am but he put it back to 3pm so he
could go to the nearby Pelican Waters course, one of the many bearing his design
signature, to play 18 holes with Hewitt, Hewitt's coach Roger Rasheed and
Wallabies captain George Gregan.
Then he was 22 minutes late, prompting one irreverent type to ask if he'd
brought a note. Norman let that one go through to the keeper. His mood was
tranquil and he was in good humour. Mixing with someone so infectiously
competitive as Hewitt maybe reminds him of his youth.
"I think it will be good for Greg. I hope he plays well, and I think he will,"
Navarro said. But he'll be watching, maybe debriefing Hewitt at the end of each
day.
Indeed, it has been a buddy-buddy relationship this week. Norman's only practice
rounds have been in company with Hewitt, when in recent years the Shark has
always teamed up with up-and-coming golfers, passing on his wisdom to them. "I
know he [Hewitt] can play, so I've got to test him out [as a caddie]," Norman
said. "He's looking forward to it. It's going to be good for both of us. We're
good buddies. At the end of the day, it's something I haven't done before and
something he hasn't done. I think we're both going to enjoy it."
Hewitt is of the decimal age and will have to get his head around the imperial
measurements of the yardage books prepared by Navarro, who has still been
earning his keep this week and will again today when he caddies for Norman in
the pro-am as he plays alongside Hewitt for the third day in a row.
And what about the 10 per cent for the caddie? "If Lleyton Hewitt needs money,
then he's in a bad way, let me tell you," Norman said. "Whatever percentage of
prizemoney comes out of here, he'll be happy to let it all go back to Tony."
Hewitt aside, the Shark is like an elephant, yet to forget last year's
controversial splitting of the PGA championship between Peter Lonard and Jarrod
Moseley when darkness halted the sudden-death play-off after just one hole.
He gave the decision a verbal backhander last year, and again yesterday. "I'm
not going to change my opinion on that," Norman said. "I think in sport you have
one winner, not multiple winners, especially in the game of golf. We beat our
brains out for 72 holes and I think there should be a one-winner deal . . . come
back the next morning and finish the job off."
Tomorrow, Lonard and Moseley can, in their own minds at least, finish it off.
With a sense of mischief, maybe a denial of history, officials have paired them
together in the opening two rounds in company with Craig Parry, who won the PGA
title 11 years ago.
Just once in the past year has Lonard thought about the high drama when he and
Moseley were given three options - to toss a coin, come back the following day
or share the title - before the decision came from the back room for it to be
shared. That was when Tiger Woods and Ernie Els were locked in a shoot-out for
the Presidents Cup three weeks ago, which was declared a tie in the darkness. "I
said after the first play-off hole, 'I'm getting as far away from this crap as I
can'," Lonard said.
Moseley is different. It's crossed his mind many times and he wonders what might
have been. "Would I have won outright?" he said. "Or would I have lost the
play-off? Being a guy on the traditional side of things, it wasn't a good
decision but to the promoter, to television, to everyone else involved, it was
fantastic. I would have been more of the view of Greg Norman, Tom Watson and
Nick Faldo [who spoke vehemently against the decision] if it hadn't been me
[involved]. Maybe we'll have a side bet on the first hole on Thursday."
All good stuff, almost as refreshing as American Stewart Cink, who arrived in
town yesterday without checking into the tournament office to pick up a hefty
appearance fee. He's here because he wants to be.
"Your tour gets a little bit overlooked in the States," said Cink, who finished
35th on the US PGA Tour money list this year with earnings of almost $US2
million ($2.7 million). "It's snowing there and I'm here. I'm not here to get
rich. I'm not here to play for money, I'm here to play and compete against good
players on a good course in warm air."
Maybe he'll email Woods and co to say: "Come on down. It's fun."
Bag man Hewitt
10dec03
GREG Norman has no plans to "sling" celebrity caddie Lleyton Hewitt if he lands
a sizeable cheque at the $1million Australian PGA Championship which starts
tomorrow.
"If Lleyton Hewitt needs my money he's in a bad way," joked Norman.
Norman's regular caddie Tony Navarro will carry the bag in today's pro-am at
Coolum while tennis ace Hewitt plays alongside the Shark. But Navarro will take
a holiday from Thursday as Hewitt fills the role of tournament caddie.
"It's something I haven't done before and it's going to be fun," Norman said. "Lleyton
and I haven't really talked about things yet, but I've asked him if he works in
metres or yards.
"As far as I'm concerned, he can pump his fist as much as he likes.
"And if any money changes hands, I hope it goes back to Tony (Navarro)."
Although Hewitt has no experience as a caddie, he has played two rounds of golf
with Norman in as many days.
Yesterday, Norman and Hewitt's coach Roger Rasheed teamed to beat the tennis
star and Wallaby captain George Gregan on the final hole at Pelican Waters, at
Caloundra.
"I don't know what Lleyton will be like as a caddie, but he can play the game
pretty good," said Norman.
"We've played a bit together over the last 18 months and I've enjoyed it."
Although Hewitt's role as a caddie might be viewed as a publicity stunt for the
tournament, there will be no question of the competitive spirit conjured by he
and Norman.
A recurring back problem has restricted Norman to less than 10 tournament
appearances this year, but the 48-year-old has been pleased with his form this
week.
"My game is dependent on how my back feels," he said. "I can't play three or
four weeks straight like I used to ... I have to manage it.
"But I played well at the Shark Shootout a couple of weeks ago and have hit the
ball solidly here. The course is playing a lot differently than last year after
a fair bit of recent rain ... it's a lot slower."
Norman would not comment on speculation he will be offered the job as
International team captain for the 2005 Presidents Cup in the United States.
"I haven't thought about it and nobody has approached me," he said after
admitting he didn't watch last month's dramatic tie in South Africa. "If
something happens, then I'd consider it."
Last year's joint PGA cham pions Peter Lonard and Jarrod Moseley have been drawn
in a threesome with
2002 US PGA champion Rich Beem in tomorrow's opening round.
"It will revive a memory or two from last year," said Moseley. "I enjoy playing
with Pete (Lonard). I always play well when I play with him."
Moseley, unsuccessful in last Sunday's four-way playoff at the MasterCard
Masters, believes he has never played better.
"It's the best my game has been and the best my mind has been," he said.
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A new ball game for Hewitt, Shark
By GEOFF ROACH
10dec03
GREG Norman won't mind a bit if he hears a resounding shout of "C'mon"
reverberating in his ear after hitting a great shot in this week's Australian
PGA championship at Coolum.
Nor will he be perturbed if his caddy is seen constantly pumping his fist after
a Norman birdie putt disappears into the hole.
"He can pump it all day long if he wants to. I just hope I give him plenty of
reason to do so," said Norman yesterday while confirming vibrant tennis ace
Lleyton Hewitt would carry his bag for all of the championship.
Doubts had surfaced over their originally announced arrangement when Norman's
longtime Tour caddy, Tony Navarro, arrived from the US on the plane with The
Shark and carried out his regular duties in a practice round at Coolum on Monday
and again at Pelican Waters yesterday. But Navarro will take a rest after
today's pro-am, leaving Hewitt with the responsibility of gauging yardages,
assisting with club selection and reading putts during the event.
"Can he caddy? I don't know. I've got to test him out. I know he can play the
game though," assessed
Norman yesterday after he and Wallaby captain George Gregan had downed Hewitt
and his coach, Roger Rasheed, on the last hole of their match at the
Norman-designed Pelican Waters course at Caloundra.
"I haven't seen him play tennis live yet either but that's going to happen
pretty soon. Actually we've only got to know each other a bit over the past 18
months, playing a couple of games and talking on the phone.
"All I know is he's looking forward to it and I think it is going to be good for
us both, a good buzz.
It's something neither of us have done before and I think we'll both enjoy it."
One key factor has, however been established. Hewitt's fee for the task will be
zero. "If Lleyton Hewitt needs money for this then he's in a bad way, let me
tell you," replied Norman when asked whether there was a financial arrangement.
"Whatever percentage of prizemoney comes out of here, he'd be happy to let it go
back to Tony."
Untypically, an ultra-relaxed Norman confessed he had little idea how he might
perform this week.
"It's hard to judge the level I'm at. I played well in the Franklin Templeton
Shootout two weeks ago and I feel like I'm on the verge," he assessed.
"I hit well on the range on Monday and have enjoyed the last two day's rounds.
It's going to be interesting."
Surprisingly, too, the Shark says he is prepared to try to qualify for next
year's US Open championship which will be held on the Shinnecock Hills golf
course in New York where Norman finished third to Raymond Floyd and Payne
Stewart in 1986.
"Shinnecock is among my five or six favourite courses in the world," he said.
"It's the hardest and the fairest of the courses you play day in and day out.
Apart from that I've got a lot of great friends in that area so I'll be prepared
to pre-qualify to play there."
Tuesday, 9th December 2003.
www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au
Life's a ball with Shark and me
IT was like winning the Davis Cup all over again for Australian tennis ace
Lleyton Hewitt yesterday.
Hewitt took his first steps next to idol Greg Norman at the Hyatt Regency Coolum
Resort as Aust-ralian sport's new ''Dream Team'' prepared for this week's $1
million Australian PGA golf Champion-ship.
Hewitt played a round of golf alongside the two-time British Open champion in
steamy conditions, but come Thursday it will be Hewitt the caddie lumping
Norman's bag for the first time.
The former world number one tennis player and former world number one golfer,
who have developed a friendship over the past 12 months, shared plenty of jokes
throughout their round yesterday.
Hewitt said he was excited just to be in the Shark's company.
Norman arrived on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday after flying in on his private
jet from Barcelona.
''He's someone I idolised growing up,'' Hewitt said.
''It's a great opportunity for me to spend some time with him this week.
''It's an opportunity which he wouldn't offer to many other people and I can't
wait until we get to Thursday.
''I haven't been to many big golf tournaments so this is pretty exciting.''
Hewitt laughed off suggestions he would be as big an attraction as Norman, who
will play his first round on Thursday morning alongside former US PGA champion
Steve Elkington.
''No way mate.
They'll all be coming to see him, not me,'' he said.
Spectators will be able to check out Hewitt's golf game , he plays off a
handicap of eight , in the pro-am tomorrow when he will again be in the same
group as Norman.
Since arriving on the Coast for a holiday early last week with Belgian
girlfriend Kim Clijsters, Hewitt has played four times at the Hyatt.
However, he does not believe the knowledge he has picked up during those rounds
will come into play too much during his new job on Thursday.
Norman's regular caddie, Tony Navarro, will be on the Shark's bag until the
tournament begins.
''We'll work it out later,'' Hewitt said of how much influence he would have on
Norman's game.
And he is yet to throw Norman's sizeable golf bag over his shoulder.
''It does look pretty heavy.
Hopefully it's not as heavy as it looks,'' he said.
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Shark still covers plenty of distance
By Peter Stone
December 9, 2003
Sydney Morning Herald
As Greg Norman hit yet another ball over the 30-metre-high netting 260 metres
away on the practice range at Coolum yesterday, the marshall was starting to
count the cost: "Look at that. Brand new balls and they're hit once. Can't
retrieve them, that's black snake country."
For Norman, who was probably part-paying for the balls anyway - given the
financial equity his Great White Shark Enterprises has in SFX, which is the
promoter of this week's $1 million Australian PGA championship - it was more
than satisfying. He has no pain from the back injury that restricted him to just
seven tournaments in the US this year.
Just one other player, local club professional Peter Wuoti, was on the range
mid-morning as Norman worked up a sweat, just as he had in the gymnasium on
arrival the night before, and just a couple of spectators saw a touch of the
Shark of old.
In his prime, few could match him with driver in their hands.
A few minutes later, Lleyton Hewitt, Norman's caddy for the week, wandered onto
the range in company with his coach, Roger Rasheed. They were heading out for a
hit with Norman.
"Hey, what about the Davis Cup?" Norman asked. Hewitt ran him through the drama
of Mark Philippoussis's Lazarus-like recovery to defeat Juan Carlos Ferrero and
clinch the cup final against Spain.
"Mate, I was warming up in the dressing room," Hewitt said.
With that, it was off for a leisurely round of golf with just one spectator
watching on the first tee. This reporter. Norman was jovial but in no mood to
offer his views on golf, world affairs, whatever. "I just want to get his
[Hewitt's] money." Surely it's going to be the other way round come the end of
the week. What do caddies get? Ten per cent.
Rasheed, an 18-marker, hit off first. Smashed the ball 300 metres straight down
the fairway. Norman uttered an obscenity in admiration. Hewitt reckoned it
wouldn't last. His drive ended in a right fairway trap, while Norman came up
just short of Rasheed.
They wanted their own company and Norman will present himself to the media
today.
His plane is on the tarmac at Maroochydore Airport. It's done some kilometres in
recent days. Florida to Barcelona, where Norman inspected some course design,
then to Melbourne to look in on The National on Sunday, then to Sydney for
business meetings before arriving here on Sunday night.
Last night, he chartered a helicopter to fly to Brisbane for a dinner in honour
of Charlie Earp, who, after 45 years in the pro shop at Royal Queensland, is
retiring to spend even more time betting on the horses.
Apart from Norman, golfers were in short supply at Coolum yesterday. A snap
strike by baggage handlers at Melbourne Airport delayed a number of players,
including one of the three vanquished in Sunday's gripping play-off for the
Australian Masters, joint reigning PGA champion Jarrod Moseley.
Craig Parry, who departed with Moseley on the first extra hole at Huntingdale,
was an early arrival at Coolum, but he and wife Jenny bundled the kids into the
car to spend the day on the beach at nearby Noosa.
Adam Scott, beaten by Robert Allenby's sensational birdie on the second play-off
hole, stayed in Melbourne for a sponsor day at Huntingdale, while Peter Lonard,
the other half of the defending PGA champions, was on the Gold Coast playing in
the final of the Holden Scramble with other touring professionals including
Peter O'Malley, Wayne Grady and Marcus Fraser.
And Pete Senior had his charity day at Hope Island yesterday, which lured a few
more away from Coolum. Allenby was, of course, on a flight to the US for Tiger
Woods's tournament this coming week before returning for next week's Australian
Open.
Rich Beem? After missing the cut at the Masters, he caught up with friends in
Brisbane, notifying officials he would make his way to Coolum last night under
his own steam. Steve Elkington was celebrating his 41st birthday with family and
friends on the Sunshine Coast.
A familiar face did turn up - Frenchman Jean Van de Velde - and spoke not of his
farcical finish which cost him the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, but of his
battle with a knee injury for the past 16 months.
At 37, he is hoping to resurrect his career but is none too sure. "My heart has
big hopes but my brain tells me to accept what happens," he said.
Hewitt to caddie for Norman
Tennis star on Norman's bag for Australian PGA
Associated Press
COOLUM, Australia (Dec. 9) -- One is a former world golf No. 1 and the other the
same in tennis.
On Thursday, Greg Norman and Lleyton Hewitt will combine in the first round --
and again Friday for the second -- at the Australian PGA, Norman hitting the
shots and Hewitt telling him which clubs to use -- as Norman's caddie.
Whether they make it to the weekend will depend on how the all-Australian
arrangement works out.
"I know he can play, I've just got to test him out," Norman said Tuesday at the
Hyatt Regency resort course where the tournament will be played.
"He's looking forward to it, we're good buds, and I think it will be good for
both of us."
Norman is ranked out of the top 200 in golf while Hewitt, an eight-handicapper
in golf, has slipped to 17th in the year-end tennis rankings from No. 1 last
year.
"At the end of the day, it's something that he hasn't done before and I haven't
done before," added Norman. "I think we are both going to enjoy it."
Norman said he and Hewitt have played golf together several times over the past
18 months to two years, and that the thought of him acting as a caddie "just
evolved."
"I have yet to see him play tennis live, but that is going to happen pretty
soon," said Norman.
They have not worked out how they'll judge distances, said Norman.
"We haven't discussed that yet," he said. "I asked him yesterday whether he
works in meters or yards, but I think he's fairly adaptable."
Tony Navarro, Norman's longtime caddie, is in Australia and has carried Norman's
bag in practice rounds Monday at Coolum and on Tuesday at nearby Pelican Waters,
a Norman-designed course.
At Pelican Waters, Norman and George Gregan, the Australian rugby union captain,
played against Hewitt and his coach, Roger Rasheed, in an informal four-ball.
Norman wouldn't say how much money changed hands, only that "I think we beat
them on the last hole."
If Norman collects a paycheck on Sunday, the usual 10 percent caddie's payment
won't be heading into Hewitt's pocket.
"If Lleyton Hewitt needs money, then he's in a bad way, let me tell you" said
Norman, laughing.
"Whatever percentage of prize money comes out of here, I think he'd be happy to
let it go back to Tony (Navarro)."
Hewitt last played tennis when he and Mark Philippoussis each won singles
matches to give Australia a 3-1 win over Spain in the Davis Cup final 10 days
ago in Melbourne.
During the match, Hewitt did his usual drill, pumping his fist and yelling
"C'mon" when he needed to rally himself.
Norman won't mind seeing more of the same on Thursday and Friday.
"He can pump it all day long," said Norman. "I hope I give him reason to."
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Hewitt to serve in new role
THE gentle applause after a well-struck shot. "Oh, good show," from the genteel
spectators.
"C'moooooonnn!" from the caddie.
It could happen at Queensland's Coolum Resort course from tomorrow when a young
blond fellow carries the bag of an older blond fellow in the Australian PGA
Championship.
Lleyton Hewitt might have little in common with the usual bag carriers, those
itinerants who sleep
cheap, know the liveliest places in any town and wait for their big break - a
golfer who can win and give them 10 per cent of the purse. But he will tote that
bag, lift that flag for "his" man, Greg Norman.
The pair have been friends for 18 months, although Norman has not seen Hewitt
play live. Hewitt has seen Norman.
"I know he can play golf," said Norman so I've got to test him out on the bag.
"He played in a skins game with Aaron Baddeley a few weeks ago and said he was
asking for pointers about caddying."
Of course, Norman has a backup. Tony Navarro, his usual caddie, is here with
him. Navarro is not working, but might get paid.
Norman said: "If Lleyton Hewitt needs my money he is in a bad way. Whatever
percentage of prize money comes out of here, he'd be happy to let it go back to
Tony."
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