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Moe Norman
Moe Norman
Moe Norman
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At the age of 74, Norman is the eccentric
genius of his sport - the 'Glenn Gould of golf.' The man with
the perfect swing, 'repeatable,' as the commentators say,
under any amount of pressure, but unable to deal with the
expectations that came with his skills. Only in the last 10
years, with the support of his closest friends, has Norman
been able to take his place among the legends of the game.
When Norman, the 'enfant terrible,' won the Canadian Amateur
Golf Championship in Calgary in 1955, he hid in the bushes
by the Elbow River when the championship trophy was awarded.
He couldn't bear the thought of people looking at him, or
of having to give a speech. A boyhood accident had left him
with what doctors now think was brain damage; it had also
left him a man emotionally crippled by shyness.
Born and raised within sight of the Kitchener, Ontario, factories
where his father worked, he was terrified and humiliated by
the country club set. No matter how many championships he
won, he knew he was an outsider. And he had a temper. The
more the Royal Canadian Golf Association tried to ostracize
him, the angrier he became, and the more he misbehaved.
Today they are unanimous in their praises. Rising Canadian
stars like Mike Weir and Lorie Kane. Old pros like Lee Trevino,
Nick Price and Tom Watson. No one has ever been able to strike
the ball like Moe Norman. And yet, in a profession where the
fans are also millionaires, he has had to live out of the
back seat of his car, struggling to survive.
Original Air Date - March 19, 2002
Moe Norman died September 4, 2004.
Links
Canadian
Golf Hall of Fame
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