I would not normally post about a sponsorship signing, but when it comes to 54-year-old Greg Norman signing with TaylorMade Golf, I must admit it sparks a special memory trigger for me.
I was interning with the company last summer when Norman first played the TaylorMade Red LDP ball at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, and finished in third place.
When Norman made the switch, he wanted a lower trajectory and ball flight for the windy conditions at Royal Birkdale, so he decided to grab of bag of TaylorMade balls and give them a try at the practice facility. The results, he says in the article above, were staggering, so he switched to the ball permanently for the week.
A year later, he finally has a formal contract with the company, including playing TaylorMade's new R9 driver and wearing the company logo on his hat during play at this weekend's Shell Houston Open and the upcoming Masters.
I remember how energized it felt in the office to learn that Norman — whose charisma made him the No. 1 draw in his prime, comparable perhaps with only a handful of guys including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods — was playing the ball at Royal Birkdale.
It made Sunday's final round all the more compelling with Norman contending again in a major, even nostalgic at times. That Open will always hold an especially memorable place in major championship lore, and it was interesting to hear such news about Norman's relationship with the company Tuesday.
I'm more excited than ever about Masters week and hoping to plan blowout coverage for the blog next week — 2-3 posts a day — including the always-exciting Sunday finish.
Back with more later this week. Special courtesy thanks to flickr user leonharris, whose photos (including Norman) can now be found twice above the fold on The Hunt. Good stuff.
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