(4 of 4)
Norman's openness is perhaps one clue to his popularity. Spectators sense that at heart Norman is a simple man without pretense. True, he has four Ferraris, a Rolls-Royce and a Jeep, but one suspects that with a different turn of fate, he would be happy testing the limits of a '74 Chevy Nova. He lives by fundamental values, and they are sufficiently universal that people in Europe, Japan and America can project upon him the attributes of the hero, in this case the heroism of normality. He tries to keep his life in balance. During an enforced layoff following a wrist injury in this year's U.S. Open (more bad luck), he did not bother to watch the British Open, preferring to take the opportunity to go fishing and to spend more time with his wife Laura and two young children. Even though Norman lives in a 15,000-sq.-ft. beachfront home in Palm Beach, Fla., complete with pool, courtyard fountain and practice greens, he has escaped the "tall poppy syndrome" that prompts Australians to cut down local heros who have got swelled heads and forgotten their roots.
Three continents may claim the golfer as their own, but Norman sees himself as completely Australian. At the core of his demeanor is the Australian conviction that the world is going to get you, and what matters is how you comport yourself when it does. Thus when Larry Mize stole the 1987 Masters from Norman with a miraculous 140-ft. chip shot, somewhere in the back of Greg's mind was the image of his grandfather telling stories about Aussie valor in hopeless situations, and though he was dying inside, Norman still managed a mournful quip for the press: "I didn't think Larry could get down in two from where he was, and I was right."
Whether Norman will break his major-tournament jinx and dominate the game next season -- or ever -- is another question. He and Spain's Seve Ballesteros are the two names most frequently mentioned as the next golfers likely to achieve greatness. Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of the century, picks Norman. "The dominant player must dominate in several areas," says Nicklaus. "When one area isn't working another will take over so that you can win even when you are only running on three cylinders. I could do that when I was younger, and Norman can now. Other players need all cylinders working if they are to win."
Nicklaus does not worry about Norman's failure to win many majors, noting that the late starter is just now coming into his prime. Rodgers, the wise former pro, also picks Norman as Nicklaus' likely successor, noting that his bad luck does not seem to have affected his confidence. "In his prime, Nicklaus could destroy you with his eyes," he says. "Greg Norman has that same look."