The Tragedy of Greg Norman

This past weekend, Greg Norman began the final round of The Open Championship leading by two strokes. He ended the round six strokes off the lead after shooting a 7-over-par 77. It was yet another Sunday collapse for Norman, whose closing round close calls are epic, tragic and kind of sad.

After the tournament, conventional wisdom said this Norman loss did not feel like the others. He is 53 years old, after all, and hardly plays golf anymore. ABC golf analysts spotted a flaw in his swing from the beginning of the round, as he was staying back on his drives, which made them difficult to control.

All of this was true, of course. Norman was not expected to win and his performance through the first three rounds could be described as a minor miracle.

However, he could have completed one of the most improbable and legendary performances in professional golf history. In his prime, he was beloved almost on a Nicklausian level. His major collapses never let him achieve his position as Jack's heir.

So, was this year's collapse "okay"? Did Norman not mind so much? Will it not haunt him for the rest of his life, like his 1996 Masters performance? His attitude all week suggested it probably will not. He obviously does not have the passion for the game he once did, nor does golf define him like it did 15 years ago. His business interests, personal fortune and new love (tennis star Chris Evert) seem to be consuming his attention these days.

I suppose that's all well and good for Norman as a person. He's probably healthier this way. But as a golf fan, it is sad and disappointing. It would have been unbelievable to watch him redeem himself, grab that one last trophy and say to all his detractors, "See, I told you I was better than you all along." Jack Nicklaus would kill for one last major.

It's sad to see someone lose his passion, his drive. And as much as Norman contends that he is not all about golf anymore and that his new life and new successes satisfy him, I don't believe it. He's fooled himself into this mindframe because he's sustained losses like no other professional golfer. He's haunted and this is his coping mechanism.