On sledging Greg Norman

In the lead up to last weekend’s Handa Open (won by Wayne Grady), Peter Stone wrote an article in the Sydney Morning Herald including with some of the Australian legends of the game.

They begun to recount some of the stories from the old days on the professional circuit and the one told by Mike Clayton stood out for it’s disclosure of sledging on the tour. It seems not even the best are immune from it.

…But Mike Clayton, another of the oldies with us this week, said that was nothing compared with another time in Japan involving Greg Norman, fresh from losing the 1993 Tour Championship to American Jim Gallagher after holding a two-shot lead with three holes to play.“Pete Senior, Terry Gale, Peter McWhinney and ‘Jonesy’ (Brian Jones, pictured), were sitting having breakfast when ‘the Shark’ asked if he could join them. Sure. Immediately, Jonesy started flicking at the collar of Greg’s shirt, saying, “I just want to see how tight that collar is.” Greg gave him a thunderous look.

“Next day, after the first round [of the Taiheiyo Masters] Jones had shot 77 to Norman’s 67. The Shark said to Jones: ‘You’ll be struggling to make the cut.”‘

Jones replied: “Don’t worry, if I’m within two shots of you with three to play on Sunday, I’ll be all right.”

If you would like to read more about this unheralded “Brian Jones”. This is a great article on him from the Courier Mail earlier this year.