Norman recovers to win golf

Press, 5 September 1989, Page 48

Norman recovers to win golf

NZPA-AP Franklin, Wisconsin Australian Greg Norman blew a four-stroke lead, then recovered with three birdies on the final seven holes yesterday for a three-shot victory in the Greater Milwaukee Golf Open.

Norman was at one over for the day before his late surge carried him to a finalround two under-par 70 and a 72-hole score of 19 under 269 at the Tuckaway Country Club. Early starter Andy Bean, with a final-round 66, finished three shots back at 16-under 272.

Wayne Levi, who had three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to pull even with Norman, faltered with three bogeys on the back nine and

finished with a 71 for a 274. Mark Lye and Ted Schulz tied for third at 273. Norman dropped into a tie with Levi and Bean after a bogey on No. 11, then put his tee shot on the par-5 twelfth hole into a trap. But he rebounded and birdied the hole to regain the lead. He rolled in a long birdie putt on the par-4 thirteenth to take a two-stroke lead and padded his edge on the sixteenth hole, another par-5, when he birdied after putting his second shot into a trap. Bean, playing nine groups in front of Norman, started the day at 10-under and finished the ' round with six birdies. He missed an 11metre birdie putt on No. 18 that would have given him

the lead at the time. • Two birdies in the last three holes earned Severiano Ballesteros his third victory of the year at the European Masters golf championship yesterday at Crons-Sur-Sierre in Switzerland. The Spaniard won by two shots from Australian Craig Parry. Ballesteros holed from five metres and three metres on the sixteenth and seventeenth greens for birdie threes to finish with a round of 67 and a 22-under-par total of 266. Parry, winner of the German Open a week ago, blew his chance by fourputting on the fifteenth when leading by a shot. Britain’s Stephen Bennett (71) finished third on 269. Parry had earlier threat-

ened to capture his second t successive title with some > inspired . golf. He took the r lead with a birdie at the i fourteenth after a spectacular > outward 31 in which he holed a bunker shot at the third and an eight metre putt at the eighth for twos. But, at the par-5 fifteenth, the stocky Australian charged his first putt past the hole after hitting the green in two, knocked the next three metres past the hole and ended with a six en route to a 67 and total of 268. Ballesteros said: “I’ve had a tough three months of not quite being able to find my game. It’s been frustrating and in Germany last week British coach Bob Torrance tried to help me.