He Does It All -- Except Play Golf

What has Greg Norman been up to lately?

The last player to win the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s has been taking care of business, though not the golf-playing kind.

He spent last week getting ready to play here by practicing at his Medalist Golf Club at Hobe Sound, Fla.

But off the course, Norman is a walking conglomerate of golf-related businesses, all operating under his umbrella corporation of Great White Shark Enterprises.

Norman has been busy building the brand. His money-making interests include golf course design, clothing, wine, yachts, a restaurant, a TV production company, resort development and on-line shopping.

And when he isn’t out there building the brand, you might find Norman on his 228-foot yacht, Aussie Rules.

Norman gave up his PGA Tour card this year because he didn’t feel he could play the minimum number of 13 tournaments.

In fact, he has played only two PGA Tour events this year, which makes Norman almost a stranger to the golf course. That’s certainly not what he was in 1993, the last time the British Open was played at Royal St. George’s, when Norman was 38 and at the top of his game.

Defending champion and three-time winner Nick Faldo led after 54 holes, closed with a 67 and still lost by two shots because Norman finished with a 64.

“I didn’t want that round to end,” Norman said. “I had never gone ‘round a golf course before and not mis-hit a single shot.”

It was the second of Norman’s two British Open titles -- he also won by five shots at Turnberry in 1986 -- and his last major championship victory.

Norman, who turned 48 in February, withdrew from his last tournament at Westchester only 20 minutes before his tee time because of back pain. That was a month ago. Since then, he has been trying to rehabilitate his back. He has a vertebra stress fracture and has been treated by Dr. Richard Kinard of Gainesville, Fla.

In his two PGA Tour events, Norman withdrew from The Players Championship when his back problems flared up and he tied for 65th at the Byron Nelson.