Shark still circling for the top prize

GOLF: Once upon a time, Greg Norman devoured his prey. Okay, so there were occasions coming down the stretch in a major when we had reason to question his killer instinct but, all in all, the Great White Shark - with 78 tournament wins worldwide and two British Opens to his name - had an aura about him that frequently left fellow-competitors in fear.

That may no longer be the case, but Norman's competitive instincts remain as strong as ever. Indeed, he is still seeking that Indian Summer to materialise from nowhere. "If you don't feel like you can be in the game to perform and win, then get out. Go away! Go find something else to do, or go to some other level of the game you feel comfortable with," said the Aussie, with a considerable degree of bite.

Norman's last win of any kind came in the US Skins Game last year, but his last regular tournament win was his own event, the Greg Norman Holden International, in Sydney in 1998 when he held off Jose-Maria Olazabal.

Yet, as he returns for a rare competitive appearance in Ireland for the Smurfit European Open, the player believes he can at least challenge for the top prize: "I've got to drive it well. If I can get it out there consistently I will be hitting my percentage of greens and making my putts like everybody else and I will be okay. I feel like I am on the verge of putting down four good rounds and sometimes I don't. I think that's an indication that I still want to play. I'm still keen to play. I've put in some good performances, some for 63 holes, some for 60. The signs are there."

Norman's appearances on the US Tour have been sporadic this season, where he is relying on special exemptions and has played only eight times, including the US Open where he pre-qualified, and he has been forced to spread his wings back to Europe - where he cut his teeth as a professional - to compete.

As a former European Open winner, the attraction of playing at The K Club was a strong one - and worked in perfectly with his plans to next week open the Doonbeg links in County Clare which he designed. That links course is far removed from what he called the "very Americanised" course that will play host to the European Open and, of course, the 2006 Ryder Cup.

That match may be over four years off, but Norman believes the course can only favour the United States team. When asked what he thought about building an American style course in Ireland to host the Ryder Cup, he replied: "That was the agenda in the beginning and they successfully achieved it. To build a golf course that favours the Americans doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me. It is parkland setting with the rolling hills and similar to courses that you find in the north-eastern part of the United States.

"The course fits the terrain but it is obviously going to favour the Americans because they're not making that big an adjustment coming over here.

"The heritage of Scottish and Irish and British golf is more linksy, but you can't build links courses on property everywhere. You've got to come inland and this is a beautiful setting, no doubt about it. They did a good job."

On Tuesday, when Norman first arrived here, one of the first players he met was Fred Funk, who just happened to be playing with Seve Ballesteros in the first round of last week's Irish Open when the Spaniard had his most unfortunate experience of putting the ball into the water four times on the 18th hole.

"Seve's been a great player and I hate to see this, whether it is physical or mental," said Norman. "It is sad to see great competitors who have done a lot for the game shoot these numbers. Is that the game of golf? It probably is to some degree. It takes it away from you, and you take it away from it every now and again. But it is a circle. What goes around comes around, but it is frustrating for all of us. You can't relate scores in the 80s to Seve."

It will never happen to Norman. "Hell, no, I'd be long gone," he said.