Five-time Australian Open winner Greg Norman believes the Stonehaven Trophy, and the symbol of success in Australia’s premier golf tournament, is in good hands following Jordan Spieth’s impressive success at the Australian Club.
The 21-year old Spieth became the first American since Brad Faxon in 1993 to capture the Australian Open after shooting an impressive final round 63 on the same course where Norman had reigned supreme in 1996, and in winning the fifth of five Australian Open titles.
It was only Spieth’s second pro career success before the Dallas-born golfer traveled some 9,300 miles to the Isleworth Club in Orlando and capture the Tiger Woods hosted Hero World Challenge.
After finishing third on the Japan Tour with a 14-under par tally and then posting a 13-under par victory scre in Sydney, Spieth stormed to a 26-under par victory tally in Florida to be a remarkable 53-under par for his closing three events of 2014.
American sensation Jordan Spieth wins the Australian Open on the same course where Greg Norman won the fifth of five Australian Open titles. (Photo – Anthony Powter/www.golffile.ie)
And that certainly impressed Norman, and a winner also of the Australian Open in 1980, 1985, 1987 and 1995.
“I was actually more impressed with Jordan’s efforts in winning the Australian Open because I know the Australian Club really well, I know the conditions down there,” said Norman.
“I know what jet lag can do for you. So to watch him progress the way he did down there shows me that he’s a lot more experienced than his young years, right? There was a huge injection of confidence for him. He played well this year but he really hasn’t played well enough to put his name up there on the pedestal where everybody expected him to be.
“So by winning the Australian Open, and there’s been a lot of pedigree names put up on that, but it’s the conditions and the type of golf course he won on and the way he won on that type of golf course should be an indicator to him that there’s not a golf course out there in this world that he cannot play on.
Greg Norman wins a fifth Australian Open title in 1996 at the Australian Club where Jordan Spieth won for a first time outside of the US.
“And the more Jordan plays different golf courses, the more he’ll reflect back on the Australian because it’s a really demanding golf course and he played it with a lot of confidence. Yes, he putted well, but again that’s part of the ingredient of going on and winning, too. You putt well for four straight days, not just one day.”
And Norman can see a clear parallel with what Spieth achieved in the 2000 Olympic Games city to what World No. 1 Rory McIlroy did exactly 12 months ago, and how McIlroy used that success along the shores of Sydney Harbour and this year also capture two Majors, a first WGC title and a first BMW PGA Championship.
“That would be a logical way to look at it as from Jordan’s standpoint, he’s got to look at it as a springboard,” said Norman.
“Understanding winning in Australia on a tough golf course on tough conditions and flying again with jet lag the next week to playing, I shouldn’t say it’s a tough golf course but a totally different golf course and adapting to the fatigue in your body and the mental aspect of being able to mentally concentrate as hard as he had to do to win the Australian Open, to shift gears and travel and do it again.
“That’s why I say if he sat back and he looked at okay, winning is one thing, we’ve got that, but how he did it and how he managed his body and managed his time and managed his golf game and managed everything else around here, that’s what he should be looking at. Because if he got that right, which obviously he did, he’s got to somehow inject that type of format or platform into wherever he goes because it worked for him.
“Now it’s not going to work all the time, but to me a great barometer for a great player is the fact that they can win in one country, jump on an airplane and win in another country on a totally different golf course, totally different greens, totally different grass, totally different atmosphere.
“So that for me is the sign of a really, really good player.”
FOOTNOTE –
While Greg Norman captured a fifth Australian Open at the Australian Club where Jordan Spieth won his first ‘overseas’ championship, the 1996 Australian Open was also notable as Tiger Woods debut in Australia.
Organisers paid a reputed bargin price of $225,000 appearance fee for Woods who, after shooting a first round 79, eventually shared fifth place with Ireland’s Paul McGinley and Australia’s Peter O’Malley and Kiwi Grant Waite.
