Norman: Better side of the draw
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Two-time Open champion Greg Norman says he is keeping his expectations "realistically low" despite shooting a first-round 70 on day one at Royal Birkdale.
The 53-year-old Australian, who triumphed at Turnberry in 1986 and Sandwich in 1993, carded two birdies and two bogeys to lie just one shot off the lead shared by Graeme McDowell, Rocco Mediate and Robert Allenby.
But Norman, who recently married former tennis star Chris Evert, is not getting carried away in what is just his sixth tournament of the year.
"I practise more tennis than golf," he quipped. "But there's something about this tournament, the atmosphere, the excitement.
"Coming down the 18th after five and a half hours, the way the crowd react to you, you don't get that anywhere else.
"I have to keep my expectations realistically low. People say it's like riding a bike but even doing that after a while you're a little wobbly."
Asked about his chances of winning, the Great White Shark added: "I'm not even going to get my head in that position.
"If I give myself a chance at the end of the tournament, then you start thinking about it. But you don't on a Thursday afternoon."
Best of the conditions
Norman was full of praise for the set-up of the course and admitted that he and the other later starters had enjoyed by far the best of the conditions.
He continued: "I think it's the best Open I've ever played in. The course has been set up the fairest and toughest I've ever seen. It's very balanced and gives the opportunity to someone like me to get a good score on the board.
"These conditions are an equaliser. Maybe some of these young players have not experienced it before.
"When somebody asked me the toughest conditions I'd played in and said Turnberry 1986. Some of these kids might not have been born then.
"We got the better side of the draw, no question. You watch it and feel sorry for the guys but I've been there too."
Norman, who did not play in the last two Opens because of injury, admitted he had no wish to return to a full competitive schedule.
"The mind still wants to play but the body doesn't want to practise," he added.
"It's gone through enough pain and surgery and I just don't want to do it any more. I still enjoy playing but I don't enjoy standing on the range for four hours a day."
