Upfront

Shark Hunting

Mark Hensby, what a bitch. In the snooze-fest that can often be professional golf, this young fellow has come out to blast the greatest golfer to come from Australia right out of the bunker. "Greg has never, ever gone out of his way, it seems, to help the Australian golfers," Hensby said on Wednesday. "Everyone talks about it, but no one will say it. That's a pity. We all looked up to him so much, and when we see him and he doesn't feel like he can give back to us, it's a funny feeling. But that's just how Greg is. If you go up and ask him things, he'll oblige. But he doesn't go out of his way to be that friendly to you."

Rrroooowww! Talk about providing the tonic this ever-so-sedate Australian summer of golf needed. Question is this, though: is Hensby on the money? For years, Australians have shared a love-hate relationship of Norman. He packs the galleries whenever he plays here. Golf and non-golf enthusiasts alike will always feel aggrieved that he never won a major. He's carved up golf courses all over the world and kept Australian golf bubbling when there was precious little left to do so. He's built courses on these shores - ironically he launched one at Phillip Island the day that Hensby savaged him - and he's ploughed truckloads into junior tournaments and development.

What he does not do is support the Australian tour. For years now he has shunned the Australian Open and Masters. Some might suggest that the trouble of the major Australian tournies here is that Norman hasn't given a fig about his home country for some time. His response to Hensby irks. "When I heard that yesterday of course it ran through my mind, 'Why the heck do I even come back here?"' he said. Is it that hard, Greg? To come home?

Point is, when has a professional golfer ever thought about anyone but themselves? Is there an onus on Norman to help out his countrymen overseas? To play in tournaments that he couldn't care less about? Hensby thinks otherwise - but probably not. Let the Shark design his courses and ride around on that bit mutha of a boat. He could do more, everyone knows that. But you sense that Norman doesn't expect anything more than what Australian fans give him anyway: some passing interest and a belief that he should have won that US Masters. As for Hensby, good on him for having a go. It's made for entertaining reading and that's more than what the golf is throwing up at present.

What d'ya think about Hensby bunker bitching? Click here and send us your feedback, and we'll publish your comments right here. You could win a copy of Paul Collins' Core Strength.

What you said

Greg Norman does not have to do squat for Australian golf. He's done it all
and he's been doing it since 1976. If he wants to spend the rest of his days
fishing for tarpon in the azure waters of Majorca from the deck of his
200-foot penis-boat, then that's his lookout. Good luck to him. He's 50 for
chrissake. He's good as retired.

And besides, what's David Graham doing for Australian golf? What's Kel Nagle doing? How many junior foundations does Steve Elkington run from his Florida compound? And Norman's getting stick for not doing enough? Poppycock! For 30 years Norman was Australian golf. He made tournaments, he made whole tours just by turning up. He's a massive player, a massive personality, with a massive game and, admittedly, a reasonably good-size ego. But so what? The guy's a legend. He won two British Opens, 86 tournaments everwhere, was second in what, a dozen other majors in the US?, through hacks chipping in
and Golden Bears doing their thing, and, okay, the odd choke. So he's human.

But there's never been one like Norman, not in Australia anyway, and if Mark
Hensby wanted to ring him up, the Shark's there for Mark Hensby, as Adam
Scott and Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby and even Little Lley Lley would
tell you.

For mine, the Shark can do whatever he wants. He lives in the US, his kids
go to school there, he celebrates Thanksgiving. So what? His business. Let's
all just get over the cultural cringe and let the bloke do whatever the hell
he likes. He's earned it. He doesn't have to do any more. Yet he still does.

Anyway. The Australian golf tour isn't one anyway. And iif it needs
50-year-old Greg Norman to play and promote it then it's got bigger problems
than even the Great Norman can fix.

Submitted by Stephen Kolef on 28th November, 2005

Mark Hensby has done a great job getting to where he is; he’s done it tough. Lets see where Mark Hensby is in 25 years and what he has given back to the game.

Greg Norman however has been playing professionally almost as long as Mark Hensby has been alive. While that’s been going on he has been contributing: to junior golf; to his own tournament; inspiring kids to take up the game etc. OK, so his accent has moved a little, he has made a lot of money, he enjoys the trappings of his success. He is allowed to. He has left a legacy of amazing wins and equally amazing losses. The game is richer for his participation.

Submitted by Mark Westaway on 28th November, 2005