Back on His Feat

Here’s how bad it is for Greg Norman: He lost to a guy who couldn’t even walk a few years ago.

Norman didn’t win the Masters . . . again. Jose Maria Olazabal did . . . again.

That’s really all you need to know about what happened Sunday at Augusta National, where Norman trudged up the 18th fairway on his way toward another defeat and the television announcers said that Norman was a classy loser.

He should be. He’s certainly had enough practice.

Olazabal’s two Masters victories are separated by five years and a painful foot problem in 1996 when he needed a cane to support himself. Norman had such a painful Masters in 1996 that he couldn’t have done much worse if he had played swinging a cane.

If anything, you’ve got to admire Norman’s competitive nature. He shows up, he plays, he gets dusted and then he comes back for more.

It’s a fatal attraction, a doomed obsession. We’ve seen stuff like this before, you know. Captain Ahab had his whale, the Shark has his Augusta National.

Once again Norman was a factor at this steamy track dug out of the red Georgia clay. Once again he had a chance to win and once again he didn’t. And it’s not the course’s fault.

How this one slipped away was a little different than the others, although it had certain Normanesque features, make no mistake about that.

With five holes to play, Norman was even with Olazabal. At that moment, Norman broke into his patented backward march.

His drive on No. 14 bounced off some fans and he wound up three-putting for bogey.

On No. 15, he hit another bad drive, laid up to 100 yards, sent a wedge into a bunker, missed a 10-footer for par and made another bogey.

And on 16, Norman missed a five-footer that would have been a birdie.

We know now that at the Masters, Olazabal clearly does not play the same game of Torture Bingo as Norman does. (Under the T, trauma . . . under the R, rejection). Olazabal did not wait for Norman to go away, however certain he might have been about such an occurrence. Olazabal did not make a bogey after the fifth hole, but he did make four birdies and three of them came on the back nine. This is how this Masters thing gets won.

Meanwhile, there is the Norman thing. It happens so often around here, the fans are actually treating Norman differently. He is the underdog, the object of pity, the old horse still trying to get to the finish line without falling over on its side.

The whole spectacle is sort of sad, although Norman doesn’t feel that way. In fact, he said he felt it was a half-successful week. If he finished second instead of third, it probably would have been a three-fourths successful week.

He was not heart-broken. He said he proved he could still contend. He said he climbed a mountain. He said he didn’t have even the slightest hangover from his 1996 Masters.

He also said there was no reason he couldn’t continue to contend at the Masters.

“Why not?” he asked.

Well, how about history? Norman has played the Masters 19 times and no one has showed up more without winning. Last year, Mark O’Meara won in his 15th try, so there’s hope.

Of course, O’Meara is no Greg Norman.

Rooting for Norman at the Masters is a real labor of love. It can’t be easy, because you know that at any moment, he’s going to disappear faster than an official Masters hat in the merchandise tent.

At 44, Norman’s chronological time clock is starting to run out, so it would seem that his opportunities to contend in the Masters are dwindling. But it’s possible that Norman could possibly slip up somehow and win this thing, however unlikely that may be.

So what would that mean to the Norman legend? Or consider this: What would a victory on Sunday have meant to his Masters legacy? Would he be remembered for finally breaking through or for all his past failures?

And so it goes for the most famous non-winner in the history of the Masters. He might not have a green jacket, but he has won more than $12 million on the PGA Tour and his endorsement career is a smashing success. There are so many shark logos on so many shirts out there, you can’t put your arms through the sleeves without worrying about being bitten.

Next year, Norman will be back at the Masters to try again. He won’t be asked any questions about his shoulder surgery of a year ago. He is glad about that. He will be asked about coming close and losing. He is expecting that.

Maybe someday, maybe sometime, Norman will be asked how it felt walking up that 18th fairway knowing he had the Masters in the bag. How he felt when he doffed his hat when cheered. How it felt to sign his winning scorecard and walk away a champion.

That will be a lot different than what happened Sunday in the scorer’s tent just beyond the 18th green. Olazabal gave Norman a hug and shook his hand. Then he looked straight at Norman and told him something about winning the Masters.

Keep hanging in there and you’ll get it, Olazabal said to Norman.

Norman listened. He already had made plans for next year.

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THE ELUSIVE JACKET

Greg Norman has finished in the top five eight times at the Masters, second-most of any non-champion behind Tom Kite.

1981: Fourth place. In his first Masters, Norman shoots even par over final 36 holes, finishes three behind Tom Watson

1986: Tied for second. Norman shoots two-under 70 on the final day, but Jack Nicklaus shoots a 65 to win by one shot.

1987: Tied for second. Larry Mize chips in from 140 feet to birdie second playoff hole as Norman and Seve Ballesteros lose on 74th hole.

1988: Tied for fifth. Norman shoots a 64 in the final round to move into contention, losing to Sandy Lyle by four shots.

1989: Tied for third. Norman shoots 68-67 in final two rounds to finish one behind Nick Faldo.

1995: Tied for third. After opening with a 63, Norman shoots a 68 in each of last three rounds to finish three behind Ben Crenshaw.

1996: Second. Takes six-shot lead into final round, shoots 78, ends up five behind Nick Faldo.

1999: Third. Norman is tied for second heading into final round, but shoots a 73 to finish three behind Jose Maria Olazabal.