Norman takes golf into reality realm

Former world number one Greg Norman will be wired for sound at this week’s Heineken Classic in Melbourne.

Norman has agreed to wear a microphone during play at Royal Melbourne to try to make golf more interesting for television viewers.

Such technology has been used in skins tournaments and some made-for-television events, but it is believed to be the first time it will be used in a regular tour event.

“I have said for 20 years give me a microphone and I’ll gladly wear it,” Norman said ahead of the event which gets underway, weather permitting, on Thursday.

“I have said that to the PGA Tour in America and here in Australia. Whatever it takes to bring the TV audience and the spectators to golf, absolutely I’ll do it.”

Norman’s playing partners in the first two rounds, Colin Montgomerie and Stuart Appleby, were asked about the gimmick and neither had any objections.

“There is no problem at all,” confirmed Montgomerie, fresh from his second place in the Caltex Masters in Singapore on Sunday. “What is said between us on the golf course, there is nothing hidden, and tomorrow there can’t be can there?

“It will be interesting to get an insight into what Greg is talking to his caddie about.

“It has been done in certain made-for-television events and I’m sure the Seniors Tour has it in the States. It might come over here, I’m not sure how it is going to be seen or viewed.

“This is a trial and it’s good Greg has put himself up for it. I would not see it as a risk at all. It’s something that might come into the game and it might not.

“It’s for the authorities to find out if it works for the viewing public.

“I’ve been wired up many times for Skins games on the course and it has not affected my play at all. Hopefully it has helped the viewing audience.”

Andrew Langford-Jones, tournament director of the Australasian Tour, insisted there would be no long delay on the sound to prevent any strong language being aired inadvertently.

“The tour have been trying to be proactive in making it a better TV product so we are basically in favour of the innovation,” he said. “I spoke to Greg’s playing partners Stuart Appleby and Colin Montgomerie and they had no problem with it.

“The European Tour was consulted and whilst it is not a practice they endorse in Europe, they had no problem as we are the host tour.

“As long as the technical side can be arranged that is suitable to Greg then I would think that we will go with it tomorrow or whenever we start.

“The things that concern us is how big is the pack that will be on Greg’s body and whether or not that will be an inconvenience to him, whether they keep having to change batteries every second hole, that sort of stuff.

“There will be no long delay and I am sure Greg has been around long enough not to say anything he would regret later.

“It’s a bit like any commentator that once you know you are wired up you have to be a little bit more conservative. We hope that it will be exciting television for the people at home.”

Whether play begins on schedule on Thursday remains to be seen however, with heavy rain forcing the cancellation of Wednesday’s pro-am.

An inch and a half of rain fell on Royal Melbourne before 11am local time and although tournament officials remained optimistic, with more rain forecast overnight the first day’s play could be seriously disrupted.

Langford-Jones added: “Our biggest problem at the moment is the tees. They are unplayable as they are basically puddles and that will take a bit of work.

“We would hope to be playing golf at some stage tomorrow but if tomorrow was washed out our aim would be to play 18 holes on Friday, 18 holes on Saturday and 36 on Sunday.”

World number three Ernie Els is aiming to become only the sixth player in the history of official competition to win a fourth consecutive tournament title.

Hale Irwin and Tiger Woods are the only men to have done so in the modern era, while the other legendary names to have achieved the feat are Tom Morris Junior, Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen.