Greg Norman is not only an iconic Australian golfer on the world stage, but a very shrewd International Presidents Cup captain.
Rather than dodge the prickly issue of Kiwi caddy Steve Williams’ two major side-swipes at his former boss Tiger Woods after his unceremonious sacking last July, the “Shark” has confronted the problem head-on for the very first of four days competition.
He’s teamed Adam Scott and KJ Choi up against Team USA’s Woods and Steve Stricker in the last of six foursomes clashes this afternoon at Royal Melbourne.
The pivot? Steve Williams as Scott’s new caddy.
It will be the first time since the parting of the waves that Woods and Williams will be in the same group.
A brilliant maneuver by the “Shark.” And provocative.
Only one member of the final group will be under intense pressure – Tiger Woods – who is not a team man at the best of times. He’s a long-time loner.
Stricker is the only American who can tolerate Woods’ one-upsmanship. They are the perfect pairing, and formidable.
In the last Presidents Cup, they won all four matches – two foursomes and two fourball.
But Woods was number one in the world then, now ranked 50, and Stricker has a back problem. So suddenly they are vulnerable.
Even more so if the presence of Williams at close range gets to Woods.
The foursomes form guide for tomorrow, with alternate shots, Team USA first:
* Bubba Watson (ranked 17), and Webb Simpson (9) against Ernie Els (52), and Ryo Ishikawa (49).
Watson is a sprayer, a fatal factor at Royal Melbourne, leaving the “old fox” Els to guide Japan’s whizkid teenager around the course for the kill.
* Bill Haas (22), and Nick Watney (11) against Geoff Ogilvy (38), and Charl Schwartzel (13).
Ogilvy is the key. If he plays well, the Internationals can win this. But if Ogilvy has one of his off days, and he’s had many, the Americans will win in a canter.
* Dustin Johnson (6), and Matt Kuchar (10) against Jason Day (8), and Aaron Baddeley (47).
Johnson is also a sprayer, and it all depends on how Baddeley plays. This one could go down to the wire.
* Phil Mickelson (12) and Jim Furyk (41) against Retief Goosen (51), and Robert Allenby (69).
Allenby is the weak link, failing to make the Australian Open cut, so likely to give the American veterans an armchair ride.
* Hunter Mahan (19), and David Toms (20) against YE Yang (43), and Kim Kyung-tae (24).
The two South Koreans are an ideal pairing with no language problems, expect them to win.
* And Woods (50) with Stricker (5) against Scott (7), and KJ Choi (15).
Norman summed up Choi best, “He’s so accurate he can drive a ball down a drain-pipe”. That could be enough to cause a major upset if Scott can stay on the straight and narrow.
So the opening day could well finish even, setting up six fourballs tomorrow.
While Greg Norman was shrewd to put the acid on Woods, by selecting five Australians in his 12-man squad, he will have high hopes they will play a whole lot better than their Wallaby, Socceroo, and baggy green cousins have played of late.
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