Norman not amused by money talk

Tim Glover
Wednesday 18 October 1995 18:02 EDT
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At the home of golf Greg Norman was taking the third degree on stories that he had established a lush fund in appearance money. "You guys," he said, "just don't have a clue. You can write whatever you like, you can say that I'm greedy but I just don't fill my pockets up and take off."

At times, the world No 1 must have thought he had walked into a witness box instead of the press tent for the Alfred Dunhill Cup. Is it, or is it not true Mr Norman, that the reason you did not play in the World Match Play at Wentworth last week was because you wanted appearance money? The accusation, and this is rich, came from Mark McCormack, who is quoted as saying that Norman wanted pounds 250,000.

"I know I didn't ask for that sum," the Great White Shark said. Perhaps he was being economical with the truth. McCormack's IMG run the World Match Play and they say that Norman's agent asked for a sum not unadjacent to $250,000 (pounds 160,000), not pounds. They say that Norman was invited and the reason he didn't play is that they refused to put up the bait. "We've never paid appearance money at the World Match Play," an IMG man said.

Norman, who parted company with IMG nearly two years ago, becoming the lone Shark, had a different story to tell. "I would like to have played in the World Match Play but it didn't pan out. You have to be invited and I wasn't asked. In April they said would I be interested in playing and I said yes. There had been no contact since then."

McCormack was quoted as saying: "Greg Norman wants money. Full stop." Norman said: "McCormack didn't have a problem asking for appearance money when I was with him. In every tournament, except those on the US Tour, IMG tried to get appearance money. Why is it suddenly different?" He added that he had not spoken to McCormack for 12 months.

Other major players, like Ernie Els and Nick Price, found the Wentworth- St Andrews double, with a combined pounds 1,650,000 in prize money, a convenient fortnight. "We wanted Greg in the World Match Play," the IMG man said. "He'd have added to the tournament."

Norman, who spent September diving and fishing off his new boat, said that he only received appearance money in eight out of 24 tournaments and that he gives a $1m to charity every year. "That is something else you don't know about," he said.

Norman has won only two major championships in his career - The Open at Turnberry and at Royal St George's - but as the man with the highest profile he generates more income than any other player. "I'm not going to tell you what I make a year," he said. "That's my business. I'm a very private person. I wouldn't ask you what you make a year." A humble hack replied: "pounds 30,000." The Shark swallowed hard. "You'd better find another job," he said.

The Alfred Dunhill Cup, also run by IMG, is contested by 16 teams of three, drawn into four groups, and played to a round-robin format. Today Australia, captained by Norman, play Argentina and are one of the favourites to win the Cup and pounds 100,000 apiece. "I like playing for my country," Norman said. "I feel an obligation to play here." Another factor is that, in an undisclosed deal, he is being paid appearance money by the sponsors.

DUNHILL CUP (St Andrews) Tee-off times today: Group Three: New Zealand v Japan: 0930 M Campbell v H Kase; 0940 F Nobilo v T Watanabe; 0950 G Turner v N Serizawa. Zimbabwe v Wales: 1000 T Johnstone v M Mouland; 1010 N Price v P Affleck; 1020 M McNulty v I Woosnam. Group Two: Scotland v Taiwan: 1030 A Coltart v Chen Liang-hsi; 1040 S Torrance v Lu Wen-teh; 1050 C Montgomerie v Chung Chun-hsing. South Africa v Germany: 1100 R Goosen v H P Thuel; 1110 D Frost v S Struver; 1120 E Els v A Cejka. Group Four: Australia v Argentina: 1140 G Norman v J Coceres; 1150 S Elkington v E Romero; 1200 C Parry v V Fernandez. England v Spain: 1210 B Lane v J Rivero; 1220 M James v M A Jimenez; 1230 H Clark v I Garrido. Group One: United States v Ireland: 1240 L Janzen v D Clarke; 1250 B Crenshaw v R Rafferty; 1300 P Jacobsen v P Walton. Canada v Sweden: 1310 D Barr v J Parnevik; 1320 R Stewart v J Sandelin; 1330 R Gibson v P-U Johansson.

After round-robin stage, semi-finals on Sunday morning will be: winners group 1 v winners group 2; winners group 3 v winners group 4.

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