Norman smashes records

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 68

Norman smashes records

NZPA-AAP Melbourne Greg Norman smashed two long standing records as he strolled to an anticlimatic victory in the $300,000 National Panasonic Australian Golf Open at Royal Melbourne yesterday. Norman scored his first win in 10 months and regained his world No. 1 ranking with a mammoth 10-shot victory in the postponed final round. He fired a closing oneunder 71 to finish 15 under the card on 273 after earlier rounds of 70, 66, 66. A distant second on 283, five under par, was the former British Open champion, Sandy Lyle, who fired a two-under 70 yesterday.

Three shots further back sharing third place on 286 were fellow Scotsman, Gordon Brand jun., who had a 73 yesterday and the South Australian, Ron Wood, who finished disastrously with 77. With little wind and overcast skies, the final round had none of Sunday’s drama when players walked off the course because of unplayable conditions. In recording his third Australian Open victory, Norman eclipsed by five shots the Open record at Royal Melbourne set by Gary Player in 1963. He also broke 'the record for the greatest winning margin in the tournament, previously eight shots set in 1971 when

Jack Nicklaus beat Bruce Crampton at Royal Hobart. For his victory Norman banked sAusts4,ooo while Lyle took home sAust32,4oo. The defending champion, Rodger Davis, who only just made the halfway cut, sneaked Into fifth place on 287 with a final round six under par 66, the day’s best round. Although Norman collected two records It was not the first time he had won by 10 shots. He first achieved the feat in the 1980 French Open. Norman’s victory meant he has reasserted himself after slipping behind Seve Ballesteros in the Sony world rankings earlier this week

Leading scores:— 273: Greg Norman (Qld) 70 66 66 71 ($54,000). 283: Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 69 75 69 70 ($32,400). 286: Gordon Brand Jun. (Scotland) 71 72 70 73, Ron Wood (SA) 70 72 67 77 ($17,820). 287: Rodger Davis (NSW) 69 79 73 66 ($12,480). 288: Jim Benepe (US) 77 70 70 71, Larry Nelson (US) 75 71 69 73, Ronan Rafferty (Nthn Ireland) 69 74 71 74, Wayne Smith (WA) 69 68 77 74 ($9690). 289: Anders Forsbrand (Sweden) 75 72 73 69, lan Roberts (NSW) 74 72 71 72, Greg Turner (NZ) 69 74 71 75 ($6200). 290: Charles Raulerson (US) 71 72 76 71, David Merriman (NSW) 71 70 77 72, Mike Colandro (US) 70 74 72 74, Wayne Grady (Qld) 73 73 73 71 ($4380).