COLORADO SPRINGS — This week is “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel.
Sorry, boys, but you’re about two weeks too late.
Greg Norman has made July “Shark Month.” With back-to-back, top-five finishes at the British Open and the Senior British Open, Norman has found his game and is a regular lurking near the top of the leaderboard.
Not bad for a 53-year-old guy who didn’t play a competitive round in 2007.
“You know, deep down inside, I know my game is solid, my game is strong,” Norman said Wednesday after his U.S. Senior Open practice round at The Broadmoor. “My head is good, and I’m relaxed. If I don’t play well, it doesn’t really bother me, but at the same time I do want to go out there and perform well.”
Something he always seems to do in Colorado, whether it is playing and winning The International at Castle Pines in 1989 or designing such mountain gems as Red Sky Ranch in Wolcott and the new Cornerstone Colorado Club in Montrose.
“I love it out here. It’s very peaceful,” said Norman, who has owned a ranch in the Centennial State for more than a decade.
Norman, whose all-around game has been good for 88 victories worldwide during his 32-year professional career, still has the game to be competitive, but some will question whether his outside endeavors hamper his ability to finish the deal.
“He’s the story this week,” Tom Watson said. “You know, he still has the game to play. He just chooses not to play. . . . This is his third week in a row, and he’s got that competition now under his fingernails.”
Sundays haven’t always been kind to the Shark. Just look at his 1986 resume. Norman led all four majors going into the final round, only to walk away with just the British Open title. His collapse at the Masters is still legendary and nearly as big a story as Jack Nicklaus winning it the same year at age 46.
Two weeks ago at Royal Birkdale, Norman again found himself in title contention with a two-stroke lead after the third round, only to card a final-round 77 and finish tied for third. It still bugs him.
“I have been disappointed in my two finishes the last few weeks, which is a very good sign,” said Norman, who won his second British Open in 1993 with a final-round 64 at at Royal St. Georges. “I could have said I was happy with third place, but quite honestly I was upset.”
Norman’s caddie, Linn Strickler, who joined Norman only 16 days ago at Royal Birkdale for what he called his “magical mystery tour,” spent several years looping for Fred Couples during his heyday and sees similarities in the two stars.
“It’s like a flashback in terms of power golf,” said Strickler, who says birdies make the 63 1/2-pound bag weigh 6 pounds less while bogeys add 10. “They are one in the same. They take care of the acreage and then they chip and putt.”
Norman’s off-the-course issues — such as a costly divorce and myriad injuries that have warranted surgery on his shoulder, hip, back and knee — seem to be a thing of the past. His marriage in June to tennis legend Chris Evert, who will be with him this weekend, has given Norman a more philosophical view of his surroundings.
“It’s reflected in my game, but it’s more contentment with life,” he said. “I know every human being sometimes feels like they are the only one at the end of the branch and nobody else is with them when things are going bad.
“But when things are going great and you’re happy about everything, it permeates through everything you have in life. My golf is where it is now because I love being where I am now.”
This week, Norman turned down an invitation to the PGA Championship next month at Oakland Hills in Michigan. And after this weekend, playing tournament golf may be the furthest thing from his mind.
His name is linked to businesses all over the world. They range from golf course design, turf, apparel and real estate. Greg Norman Estates even produces a world-renowned wine.
Paperwork even backs up for Norman after three weeks of devoting time to his first love.
“It’s pretty hard to find time to slot in a tournament, let alone anything else,” Norman said. “There is no break. I’ve got to get back to work (next week). I’ve had nearly a month away and have a lot of catching up to do.”
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
A look at the Colorado golfers playing this weekend in the U.S. Senior Open:
Audie Dean, 50 — A caddie at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Dean won the qualifier there to make the U.S. Senior Open. A Denver native and a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, Dean hopes to use this tournament to fulfill his dream of playing golf for a living.
Dave Delich, 51 — The Colorado Springs resident is the president of a real estate firm and a member of the Colorado Springs Athletic Hall of Fame. He set a Colorado College hockey career scoring record and almost made the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
Dale Douglass, 72 — The Castle Rock resident and former University of Colorado star is playing less, making only two starts on the Champions Tour. But Douglass showed he can still play this year by tying for second in the Demaret Division of the Legends of Golf.
R.W. Eaks, 56 — The Colorado Springs native returns after claiming his third career Champions Tour victory July 20, setting a 3M Championship record with a 54-hole score of 23-under-par 193. Eaks was a standout in golf and basketball at Northern Colorado.
Gary Hallberg, 50 — The Castle Pines resident has two top-10 finishes in four starts, including a best of a tie for second in the 3M Championship. A four-time All-American at Wake Forest, Hallberg won three times on the PGA Tour, mostly recently in 1992.
Hale Irwin, 63 — The former University of Colorado golf and football star is the all-time Champions Tour winner (45 victories). As recently as last year, Irwin placed 10th on the Champions Tour money list and won in Hawaii.
Mike Reid, 54 — A graduate of Cherry Creek High School, he has spent most of his life in Utah. His only win on the Champions Tour was the 2005 Senior PGA Championship, and he has not been in the top 10 this year.
Craig Stadler, 55 — The Evergreen resident earned 2004 Champions Tour player of the year honors after winning five times and placing first on the money list with $2,306,066.
Mark Wiebe, 50 — After struggling for several years following wrist surgery, the Cherry Creek Village resident made headlines last September when he became the 12th player in Champions Tour history to win his first start. Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
Schedule
Gates open daily at 6:30 a.m.
Today: First round, 7:15 a.m., first and 10th tees
Friday: Second round, 7:15 a.m., first and 10th tees
Saturday: Third round, 7:15 a.m.
Sunday: Final round, 7:15 a.m.
Tickets
Available at King Soopers, , or by calling 1-877-281-OPEN
More information, directions:
