Billy McWilliam was one of Australia’s most famous golf coaches and when he passed away this week he left a legacy that had touched golfing careers going back to the likes of a young Greg Norman and stretched to more recently guiding Sarah Kemp on the path to LPGA success.

McWilliam was aged 87 when he lost his battle with cancer on Sunday. He will be long remembered for his efforts in encouraging young people to play golf.

McWilliam was the PGA club professional at Sydney’s Beverley Park Golf Club for 33 years and is credited with helping to launch the pro careers of not only Norman, but also David Graham, Bruce Devlin and Bruce Crampton.

McWilliam also coached well-known professionals Len Woodward, Len Thomas, Dennise Hutton and Australian Amateur Champion Kevin Donohoe.

“I’m always thinking like a winner which is what Mr Mac tells me to do all the time”

McWilliam was 86 last year when new protégé Sarah Kemp won her US LPGA card and she credited him for much of her success.

In early 2006 a newly turned professional Kemp said of her then 84 year old coach: “I didn’t know turning pro and winning tournaments could be so much fun. I am very positive, I’m always thinking like a winner which is what Mr Mac [McWilliam] tells me to do all the time.”

McWilliam was famous for encouraging children to play golf and was the first person to stage state and Australian school championships.

Although his playing career was brief, McWilliam was the winner of the 1940 NSW PGA Championship and he also set a world record in the 1947 Australian Open.

He shot a then world record nine under the card 65 in the first round of the Open at Royal Queensland Golf Club, which had a standard scratch par of 74.

In 1974, Greg Norman was thrilled when McWilliam agreed to employ him as a PGA Assistant at Beverley Park and wrote in his biography of his “unbounded delight” at being apprenticed under “one of Australia’s most famous golf instructors”.

“My day to day routine as an apprentice under Billy McWilliam was gruelling,” Norman wrote, saying his day started at 4am and ended after midnight.

“I was delighted that my first steps in professional golf were to be guided by such a man as Billy McWilliam,” Norman wrote in his biography. Their relationship was unfortunately cut short after a few months when Norman returned to Queensland because of dispute with state authorities over his eligibility to play in tournaments.

In June 2004, McWilliam was awarded a Medal (AOM) in the General Division of the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to golf. He was also a PGA of Australia Life Member.

The funeral service for McWilliam will be held at 11am on Friday August 29 in the South Chapel at Woronora Crematorium at Sutherland.

Stuart Appleby was back in form at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at the weekend and is one of 16 Australasians lining up for the final major of the year, the US PGA Championship.

Appleby was just centimetres short of forcing a play off with eventual winner Vijay Singh but had to settle for a tie for second place with England’s Lee Westwood.

 The Australian’s birdie attempt at the 18th stopped achingly short but his strong finish on the last three holes has backed up his recent comments that he felt a form reversal was near.

“It’s the best tournament I’ve had this year,” Appleby said. “I think if I can keep playing like this, that’s sort of what I’ll keep doing. It’s just a matter of maintaining my swing and maintaining my thoughts mentally. I’m very sure good things will come from it.”

Vijay Singh holds the record for post 40 year old PGA Tour wins ahead of Sam Snead

For 45 year old Vijay Singh the win was his 20th since turning 40. Singh holds the record for post 40 PGA Tour wins with Sam Snead in second place with 17.

Speaking of age, Peter Lonard claimed he was feeling his after turning 41 on July 17.

Earlier in the tournament, Lonard was asked if he was feeling fit now.

“Yeah, I feel good, apart from being old. I’m ready to go,” he told the media.

Lonard managed to stall the march of time long enough to shoot a final round four under 66 that included four birdies and no bogeys.  The laconic Australian pocketed about $200,000 for his sixth placing and he will also line up for the PGA Championship.

US PGA Championship

THERE are 16 Australasian PGA Tour players teeing off in the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club starting Thursday. The line-up is: (AM tee times round one) Robert Allenby, Peter Lonard, Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Mark Brown, Aaron Baddeley, Geoff Ogilvy, Nick O’Hern (PM tee times round one) Mathew Goggin, Adam Scott, Brendan Jones, Michael Campbell, Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington, John Senden and Scott Strange.

The Foxtel pay TV network will cover the championship. Each round will be shown live for about six hours from 3am on Friday and Saturday with replays each afternoon and for eight hours on Sunday and Monday from 1am.

Greg Norman fourth in US Senior Open

Greg Norman has finished fourth at the 29th US Senior Open, his third consecutive top five finish since his inspiring British Open performance.

Norman carded an even par-70 in the final round at Colorado Springs.

Eduardo Romero won the tournament with a final round three-over 73 to become the second Argentine golfer to win the trophy. . He beat American Fred Funk (75) by four strokes and Norman by six. 

Funk, who began the day two strokes back, saw his bid to become the fifth straight come-from-behind winner disappear with a triple-bogey on the 13th hole.

The likelihood of Norman returning to confront Augusta National for the US Masters next year has confirmed even further with new bride Chris Evert expressing her interest.

“I’ve never been to the Masters before, but it would be great,” Evert said. “I’ve watched it every year on TV and it’s great. I’ve watched a lot of golf on TV lately, but never gotten to go to the Masters tournament.”

Australian veteran golfer Greg Norman is odds on to return to the scene of the crime and resume his troubled relationship with the US Masters in April next year.

Norman qualified for Augusta National when he turned back the clock to finish tied third at the British Open last month.

But he turned down an invitation to this year’s final major, the US PGA Championship next week, and had kept tight lipped about Augusta.

But lining up for the US Senior Open in Colorado Springs this week and with the competitive juices flowing, he said: “I feel great that I’ve played my way into Augusta….so I can look forward to that come April, play myself into [shape].”

Settling in to married life with new bride Chris Evert, Norman must feel confident about taking on the old dear again.

He will be forever remembered for his infamous final-round meltdown in 1996 when he blew a six-stroke lead to finish second behind his long-time nemesis Nick Faldo.

Norman, having played the British Open, Senior British Open and now in the midst of the US Senior Open, says he has realised this month that his competitive nature is as strong as ever.

“I have been disappointed in my two finishes the past two weeks, which is a very good sign,” he said.

“It’s is one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make in golf, turning down the PGA,” the 53 year old said.

Meanwhile, Norman has confirmed he will play in the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines course in Perth next February.

Tiger Woods for Australian Open? 

But Norman won’t be a starter at the Australian Open at Royal Sydney this year because of a clash with his own event, the Shark Shootout in the US.

However, he will remain in the sights of Golf Australia, with the big announcement this week that the Aussie Open will remain in Sydney till 2015.

Golf Australia has already begun moves to lure a number of internationals - including  Rocco Mediate, Mike Weir and Retief Goosen - to join the likes of Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and defending champion Craig Parry to the event this year.
Golf Australia’s tournament boss Trever Herden said that while several of the world’s leading players would be approached to play this year, even Tiger Woods remained a possibility in the future despite a $4 million appearance fee.
“Tiger cannot play this year because of his injury but I’m sure he’d love to return to Australia and play the Open,” Herden said.
“We now have substantial backing and we are seeing the Open as an investment so it’s not out of the question we would invite him to play.
“We will now be chasing players like Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia  and Vijay Singh.”

Scott Strange leads Aussies at World Golf Championship

 First timer Scott Strange leads a solid Aussie contingent after the first round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron Ohio, just two shots behind leader Retief Goosen.

Strange, playing in his first ever World Golf Championship event finished the day at the top of the Aussie pile with a solid two under par 68 and is tied for sixth place in a group of 14 players including Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Rocco Mediate.

“I played great,” said a delighted Strange after the round.  “I struck the ball nicely after about the third hole on. The golf course is there to be played a certain way and I just played it the way I could. I could have holed a few more putts and had a couple less but at the end of the day two under is a good score.”

One shot behind Strange is fellow first timer Brendan Jones, Rod Pampling, Peter Lonard and Adam Scott who are in a tie for 20th place.

2002 Champion Craig Parry, Nick O’Hern and Stuart Appleby all finished their rounds at even par with Appleby making an incredible comeback after blowing out to five over at the turn.

Two time World Golf Championship winner Geoff Ogilvy was satisfied with his one over par but could have finished even, except for missing a short putt for birdie at the last.

With his new bride watching from the sidelines at the British Open, an Old Grey Shark has captivated the sporting world.

But whilst the 53 year old veteran Australian golfer didn’t win, Greg Norman did strike a major blow for older golfers everywhere and provide a massive incentive and inspiration to keep on swinging.

Of course it was a huge disappointment that he failed to capitalise on his third round lead - at least he lost to an Irishman named Paddy - but his achievement should be congratulated and celebrated.

As Norman said after his loss: “I can walk away from here being disappointed, but I can walk away from here with my head held high because I hung in there.”

As was endlessly repeated during the tournament, the 53 year old had put himself in a position to be the oldest ever major winner.

It would have been an historic and hugely popular win - as you could imagine, here at Australian Senior Golfer we were amongst those salivating at the prospect - but not to be.

What Greg Norman did prove, especially with the whole package of the British Open lead, the Bahamas wedding to Chirs Evert and the dignified defeat, is that there is life after 50.

To those of us around or over that age it comes as no surprise or shock. The older you get - apart from maybe a few creaks, pains and physical limitations - you still largely feel the same as you did as a teenager. The “old” people are always those people just over the horizon. But try telling that to the “younger” generation.

A lot of people seemed genuinely surprised that at his “advanced” age Norman was up and around on his own, let alone in danger of winning one of the most coveted prizes in golf for the third time.

What does often change as you get older are your priorities.

“….a lot of people should take stock, no matter how old you are, if you really want to chase something and chase a dream, you can go do it.” Greg Norman

As Norman said:” Quite honestly, I’m sure I surprised a lot of people. But at the same time, immediately I think about it now, what happens if I won. What happens if I won, then I might have had to be out here playing more golf, and maybe that’s what I didn’t want to do anyway.”

Norman is due to play in the upcoming Senior British Open and the Senior US Open and has made no commitments after that. His third placing means, among other things, an automatic invitation to the US Masters next year. Now that would be interesting.

Commenting on the physical aspects of his age on his golf, Norman said: “I made the comment in the pressroom a couple days ago that the only thing that would have been different was my shot-making ability. That would have been the only thing different. Even Judy Rankin said that watching me play, as she did for the last couple days on ABC television back in the States, that there wasn’t a whole lot wrong with my game. I’ve still got the components in there.”

On his performance generally he said: “I think it’s a great indicator for every player out there, whether you’re just coming on the Tour for the first year or you’re turning 40 or in your 50s. The game of golf is there to be played, and if you go in there with the right attitude and keep yourself physically fit, you can put yourself in that position no matter what.

“If I’m a young kid, looking now and seeing a guy at 53 years old leading the British Open and I’m only 18, I’m going to say, boy, I’ve got a lot of years left in my career. I think it’s great, I really do.”

And as a final inspiration: “I’ve said this before, I think at the end of the day, a lot of people should take stock, no matter how old you are, if you really want to chase something and chase a dream, you can go do it. Even though there’s failure at the end of it for me, I still put myself in position to really show a lot of other people that you can go do something if you really want it.”

Update: Greg Norman finished in a tie for fifth in the Senior British Open at Troon in Scotland, four shots behind eventual champion Bruce Vaughan, who beat fellow American John Cook in a play-off.

Greg Norman’s new lease of (golfing) life

Greg Norman’s Open Honeymoon

The 2008 Queensland Mid Amateur Golf Championship will return to Caloundra’s Club Pelican in September and this year there will be a new division for the 44 to 54 age group.

The tournament is open to male golfers aged 30 to 54 with a maximum handicap of 15.4 and takes to the Greg Norman designed Club Pelican Golf Course from September 7 to 9.

The Mid-Amateur concept has grown in popularity since it was first held in 2005.  

A large part of this is due to the tournament’s family friendly attitude with many players bringing their families to Caloundra to make a holiday occasion of the week’s golfing activities. 

The new Caloundra Tourism Upper Mid-Amateur division has been introduced this year for players aged between 44 and 54 years following feedback received from players who have attended previous tournaments.

Another new initiative this year is the Footjoy Club Teams event for teams of three players from the same club - the best two nett scores each day counting towards the team’s total.

“The team’s event came about after the popularity of the Titleist 2 Man Teams Event which in the past has attracted teams from Titleist, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and of course Queensland,” said Golf Queensland’s Golf Operations Manager Scott Wagstaff.

“It is always closely followed, even by those not involved and this year there will be an opportunity for many more to be involved in a club team’s event, which just adds a bit more of excitement to the three days.”

The Queensland Mid-Amateur Championship kicks off on Sunday 7 September and concludes on Tuesday 9 September. Many players stay on site at the Crowne Plaza, which continues to be a great supporter of the event.

A welcome cocktail party held on the evening of Monday 8 September makes a welcome return after proving to be a highlight of last year’s event.

Tournament entries are open till August 25.

For further information and entry forms, visit www.golfqueensland.org.au

We wrote about Greg Norman’s new lease of life back in May and he was certainly showing it during the first round of the British Open at Royal Birkdale.

As one television commentator untidily put it: “Norman has been up in Scotland practising with his new wife.”

I think if the commentator had his chance over he would rephrase that slightly, but at least we all know what he meant in general terms.

Back in May, Norman was playing in a couple of USPGA and Champions Tour events and talking about how his relationships with then fiancée Chris Evert and son Gregory had given him a new vigour for golf and life.

“I’ve been a bit absent for a while, about five years now,” Norman said at the time. “I haven’t really focused a lot of attention on wanting to get out there and play, and now I feel I just want to get out there.”

He was certainly getting “out there” at Royal Birkdale and was looking right at home on the big stage - his first major in three years.

Still, Norman wasn’t getting carried away about his overall chances after finishing on par and one shot behind co-leaders Robert Allenby (great to see him doing well), US Open star Rocco Mediate and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.

Norman was sharing second spot with Adam Scott, who had led all the way before succumbing to two late bogies. (Let’s hope Adam doesn’t let the slip get to him and comes back and fully realises his huge potential.)

At 53, Norman admitted no one was more surprised than he over his great start in what were very difficult but improving conditions. (The wind and rain made it absolutely atrocious when Craig Parry led the tournament off earlier in the day.)

“It probably surprised me as much as anyone,” Norman said. “I don’t play that much, and I don’t practice that much. I probably practice more tennis than I do golf.

“But at the same time there’s something about this event that stimulates you. The feeling you get coming down 18 after five and a half hours of golf and the way people receive you. You don’t get that anywhere else in the world. It is a phenomenal experience and you have a little more juice that you normally would.”

Norman credits his marriage to tennis great Chris Evert in the Bahamas last month with rebalancing his life in a way that has spin-off benefits for his golf.

“I wouldn’t say getting married to Chrissy has revitalised my golf game, I think it has just revitalised my life,” he said.

Norman was full of praise for the set-up of the course and acknowledged he and the other later starters had enjoyed by far the best of the conditions.

“I wouldn’t say getting married to Chrissy has revitalised my golf game, I think it has just revitalised my life,” he said.

Norman was full of praise for the set-up of the course and acknowledged he and the other later starters had enjoyed by far the best of the conditions.

“I think it’s the best Open I’ve ever played in. The course has been set up the fairest and toughest I’ve ever seen. It’s very balanced and gives the opportunity to someone like me to get a good score on the board,” he said.

“These conditions are an equaliser. Maybe some of these young players have not experienced it before.”

“When somebody asked me the toughest conditions I’d played in and said Turnberry 1986. Some of these kids might not have been born then.”
Norman did not play in the last two Opens through injury and admitted he had no wish to return to a full competitive schedule.

“The mind still wants to play but the body doesn’t want to practise,” he said.

“It’s gone through enough pain and surgery and I just don’t want to do it any more. I still enjoy playing but I don’t enjoy standing on the range for four hours a day.”

“The other side of my life is fantastic. I have the most beautiful balance I have ever had. When it was golf, golf, golf everything else was second. Now golf is second behind everything else.”

Greg Norman’s new lease of (golfing) life

The PGA of Australia has come out swinging at suggestions the sport in Australia is in disarray and that interest in golf is declining.

PGA of Australia chief executive Max Garske says reported unflattering comparisons with the Greg Norman era are misleading.

His statements follow the release of the 208 Sweeney Sports Report and some related media commentary.

Garske disputed the Sweeney report’s findings that golf “suffered most” over the last 12 months with claimed “record lows” in relation to participation and television viewing.

“The Sweeney Report and the consequential media commentary have painted a flawed and potentially damaging picture of the Australian Golf Industry,” Garske said in a statement.

Among the report findings were that the proportion of people who watch golf on TV had dropped to 19 per cent, down from a peak of 42 per cent in 1990-91 - when Norman was the No.1 player in the world.

It also said overall public interest in the game was at an all-time low of 23 per cent, down from last year’s 31 per cent, and the proportion of Australians who said they played golf, 14 per cent, was the survey’s lowest ever.

“Australian golf is constantly compared to the time when Greg Norman was at the peak of his game,” Garske said.

“The sports and media landscape of the 1990s bears little resemblance today.

“Consider this. Of Greg Norman’s 20 international victories only two were shown live on Australian TV compared to all 87 of Tiger Woods’ victories being beamed into Australian homes.

“People consume their golf interest in different ways today and their ability to consume it when and how they like is virtually unlimited.

“It is misleading to compare a domestic free to air audience of 2008 to one in 1990.”

The PGA produced its own statistics, from a number of sources, including that:

• The Australian Government’s Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) found that over 1.13 million Australians play golf each year. This is around 7 percent of the total population aged over 15 years
• Between 2001 and 2006, golf remained second on the ERASS Top Ten organised sport activities list, behind only aerobics/fitness and ahead of netball, tennis, all football codes, cricket, basketball and lawn bowls
• The Australian Golf Industry directly employs over 23,000 people and has an annual economic value to the Australian GDP of $2.7 billion - by far the greatest sport/industry contributor to the Australian economy (source: Ernst & Young (2006))
• Australia currently has over 100 male PGA professional’s playing on international golf circuits, including 24 on the US PGA TOUR, which includes 12 ranked in the Top 100 Official World Golf Rankings and two, Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott, in the top five (source: Official World Golf Rankings as of 29 June 2008)
• Australia currently has 30 female Professionals playing on international circuits, including 10 in the Top 200 Rolex Rankings with Karrie Webb at World Number 5 (source: Women’s World Golf Rankings as of 30 June 2008)
• Over 39 percent of all golfers maintain golf club membership (source: Golf Australia, 2008)
• In 2006/07 over 31,000,000 rounds of golf were played - a steady result over the past three years (source: Golf Australia, 2008)
• In 2007 over 1,535,000 dozen golf balls were sold in Australia compared to 1,472,000 dozen in 2004 (source: Aust. Sporting Goods Assn (ASGA) Golf Surveys 2001-07)
• Total wholesale sales of all golf equipment in Australia increased by nearly $20 million between 2001 and 2007 to $166.6 million (source: ASGA Golf Surveys 2001-07)

 Garske pointed to the amalgamation of golf governing bodies in this country in recent years to answer criticism that the game is too fragmented.

And he suggested some media reports read too much into problems finding financial backing for some major tournaments in Australia.

“By itself, a golf tournament in Australia without a naming rights sponsor is not the sole barometer of popularity, support or interest in golf here,” he said.

“It is evident from broader analysis that the state of the Australian golf industry is far from dire. Never in history has the industry worked so closely together in an effort to develop the game at every level and, contrary to recent speculation, we are extremely confident of a promising future.”

 See the full PGA statement here

Veteran golfer Greg Norman was obviously feeling a little battered and bruised after the Senior PGA Championship in Rochester, New York.

At one stage in the final round consecutive birdies on 12, 13 and 14 left the Shark lurking within one shot of the lead.

But, making his first start on the Champions Tour since 2005, Norman’s Sunday charge of four birdies in five holes on the back nine unravelled.

He hit a double bogey on 17 and a bogey at 18 to finish three shots behind 54 year old winner Jay Haas.

“Not feeling very good right now, I can tell you that,” Norman said later. “But I think that when I made birdie on 15, 16, I thought then - I always thought I was too far behind the leaders and it didn’t make any difference. But it was nice to a point, right up until 17 and 18.”

Norman admitted he found it a tough course.

“It takes a lot out of you. I’ve done this for 35 years of my life and you just it’s hard enough as it is, especially on a course like this,” he said.

As we reported before the tournament (Greg Norman’s new lease of life), thanks largely to the influence of fiancée Chris Evert and 22 year old son Gregory Norman, the Shark for the first time in a few years has increased his playing schedule and is inspired to be back on the world golf stage.

To take more out of his performance in Rochester, Norman was the most consistent scorer with rounds of 72, 73, 72 and 73.

All those before him had at least a small blow out at some stage, with even winner Haas carding a final 74, saved by his first round 69.

Forever the fighter, Norman responded typically when asked at the post tournament media conference if the result might make him change his stated mindset to play more competitive golf, which incidentally includes the upcoming British Open.

“It might go back the other way,” he said defiantly.

Greg Norman: Shock! Horror! Life After 50

 Technorati Profile

One senior Australian golfer back in the news and back on the competitive golf course is Greg Norman.

 For a number of reasons, the 53 year old has found a new lease of golfing life.

 As we write this, Norman is set for his second straight event in the US and plans a number of tournaments in the coming months, including the British Open in July.