Greg Norman has looked sharp and fit on the practice range this week.
(Photo: Getty Images)

After several false starts, the Shark is back in action

Greg Norman will tee off in his first tournament in more than five months Thursday at St. Andrews, finally making his return to competition after back surgery. The Shark isn't completely healthy yet, but plans an active summer of tournaments to test his fitness.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (PA) -- Two-time Open Championship winner Greg Norman will be playing his first tournament in more than five months when he tees off on Thursday.

"I said to my doctor that all I wanted was to be in good enough shape to be here this week competing," said Norman, who won the Open in 1986 and 1993 and is recovering from back surgery to repair nerve damage that has kept him out of action all year. "Fortunately, I rehabbed well and whilst I'm not 100 percent, I feel great."

Norman turned 50 in February, and had hoped to make his Champions Tour debut at the Senior PGA Championship several weeks ago and then at the Ford Senior Players Championship last week. He never felt well enough to play in those events, but now hopes to play several times in the next few months.

"The last 10 days have been pretty good," he said. "I've been on the range for a couple of hours each day and right now I've played for about eight days in a row.

"The surgery has fixed one of the problems, but there are a couple of minor issues in there," he added. "A decompression of the nerve roots got rid of the sharp pain down my leg so that I can now stand up and walk. I've had this since 1995, but it's only the new micro-surgery that has allowed it to be performed.

"It's an intense procedure and I was under the knife for two hours," he said. "All I wanted to do when I came out of the operating room was wiggle my toes on my right leg to see if everything was OK and know I was not paralyzed.

"I've enjoyed everything I've done in my career and would not have changed anything," said Norman, who has looked extremely fit on the practice range. "I've enjoyed all the golf balls I've hit and we estimate I've hit over four and a half million. As long as it stays hot, I will be happy. I'm just going out to enjoy myself -- I have zero expectations.

"It's not an easy deal just to flick the light switch back on, so I have a lot of clawing back to do," he added. "But I'm very happy with my mental and physical position and my ability to be here and at the [Senior British Open] at Royal Aberdeen next week.

"I'm playing six of the next seven weeks," he said. "I've never done that in my life."

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