Debate rages as Webb stakes her claim to be Australia’s greatest golfer of all-time

GREG Norman, Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Norman Von Nida, Ian Baker-Finch….drawing up a list of contenders in search of Australia’s finest ever golfer certainly makes you sit back and admire our history in this great game.

Australia has produced some of the finest players to ever grace a golf course and our reputation for being a talent factory for Tour champions is only getting stronger by the year. Aussie professionals have won a collective 25 Major tournaments over the years, many of which have been fairytale stories that captured the imagination of the golfing world.

From Kel Nagle’s Open Championship triumph in 1960 to Geoff Ogilvy’s rise to fame in the 2006 US Open, Australian golf has enjoyed taking centre stage in a sport that has traditionally been dominated by the United States and Europe.

It’s no secret that when quizzed about who is Australia’s greatest ever golfer, the names Norman and Thomson have generally dominated arguments at clubhouse bars around the country. But in recent months there has been a compelling case to suggest our greatest ever exponent of the game is Queensland prodigy Karrie Webb.

Undoubtedly the country’s finest female golfer of all-time, Webb’s remarkable victory in last month’s ANZ Ladies Masters – her seventh in the event – reignited debate about her position within the entire Australian golfing fraternity.

Australian golf legend Jack Newton believes Webb’s outstanding record, which now includes 49 professional wins around the globe, sits her at the top of the tree as the country’s biggest ever star.
“There’s no question about it. None of our men have won seven majors,” Newton told Golfer Pacific.
“Peter Thomson won five British Opens but that was before all the Americans were playing. Greg Norman won a couple but no-one has achieved anything like Karrie has achieved. And she definitely has one of the finest swings I’ve ever seen.”

With a combined total of 100 years in covering Australian golf, Golfer Pacific’s editorial team remains the most respected in the industry. And it was without much conjecture that we narrowed ‘The Greatest’ field down to just three names – Norman, Thomson and Webb.

Norman has achieved more than most in the sport and has certainly come along since his days as a trainee under Charlie Earp in the Royal Queensland golf shop, where he earned a paltry $38 a week. The Great White Shark has earned more than $1 million five times on the US PGA Tour and was the first person in Tour history to surpass $10 million in career earnings.

But his career highlights are still those famous victories in the British Open Championship in 1986 and 1993. The first came at Turnberry in Scotland, where he shot a remarkable 63 to defeat Gordon Brand by five shots. The second arrived at Royal St. George’s, where he chased down one of his arch rivals, Nick Faldo, on the final day with a memorable 64 to claim the title by two shots.

In total, Norman has won 91 professional events around the world, including 20 US PGA TOUR titles and despite being perceived as a ‘choker’ in the US Majors, 29 top 10 finishes in the four ‘big events’ is an amazing statistic – not to mention his then-record of holding down the world No.1 world ranking for 331 weeks. Norman has since gone on to forge a multi-million dollar business empire where he serves as Chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises and has been hailed as the most successful athlete-turned-entrepreneur in history.

Thomson was a prolific tournament champion around the world, winning the national championships of 10 countries, including the New Zealand Open a staggering nine times.

But it was his five Open Championship titles that entered him into golf folklore and drew praise from 1991 British Open winner Ian Baker-Finch, who suggested ‘Thommo’ deserved serious consideration when acknowledging our greatest.
“Peter has won five Majors and therefore has the best record regardless,” Baker-Finch told Golfer Pacific from his US home.

But when Golfer Pacific asked Thommo himself who he thought was the greatest Aussie of the lot, the humble course designer only strengthened Webb’s case for supremacy.
“I have no hesitation in saying (Karrie) is the greatest golfer we have produced,” the five-time British Open champion said.
“When she appeared on the scene some 15 years ago she looked as gifted as they come and her performances since then have shown that she is the best.
“She’s won Majors and climbed the top of the ladder in the US and you can’t do much more than that.” - Continued next page

But while statistics alone are a good indicator of one’s ability, the criteria used to rank Webb as our greatest ever golfer shouldn’t stop there, according to Thomson.
“It also comes down to technique and Karrie is perfect in that area – she has it all,” Thomson said.

And while Thommo admitted he was excited at the new crop of talent coming through today’s Aussie golf ranks – including rising US PGA Tour stars Michael

Sim and Marc Leishman – he simply can’t see any of them matching the feats of Webb.
“I doubt anyone will be able to beat Karrie’s achievements for a long time,” Thomson said.
It’s an extraordinary compliment for Webb, who has for so long carried the flag in search of Aussie dominance following the retirement of Norman.

Being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame by the age of 25 will perhaps go down as one of the most amazing feats ever achieved by an Australian and Webb still has one thing on her side that Norman and Thomson don’t – time.

At 35, Webb still has plenty of conquering to do on the world tour and has declared retirement is not an option in the foreseeable future. In fact, she believes she can get better and regain her No.1 world ranking.
“I wouldn’t say I’m not capable of getting back there (world No.1),” Webb told Golfer Pacific.
“I have been putting in a lot of hard work and if that pays off then who knows what can happen?
“I’d like to think there are at least another five good years in me yet before I start to think about winding down.”

Webb is also a big chance to represent her country at the 2016 Olympics – another glowing accolade for her resume, particularly if she can claim the gold. Whether she does go on to add to her astonishing record will remain to be seen.

But one question will always be asked – can we fairly compare players from different eras when judging one player to be our all-time greatest? Baker-Finch doesn’t believe so.
“I think both Peter and Greg would have been champions of whatever era they played but I think it is impossible to compare players from different eras,” Baker-Finch said.
“Peter had a flawless swing, winning numerous Open titles around the world from 1950-1975, which he maintained well into his 50’s by setting numerous records on the US Senior Tour.
“Greg inspired a generation of young Australians as the No.1 in the world rankings for the majority of a decade. His style was exhilarating, powerful and at times simply brilliant but was found lacking many times when it came to closing the deal in the Majors. He could have easily won five more Majors.
“Who knows, maybe Geoff Ogilvy will set the bar even higher than both Peter and Greg before he’s done? And of course Karrie continues to play well and may yet add to her incredible record and become number one.
“It’s always a tough choice and one that will be argued for decades to come,” Baker-Finch said.

The Contenders

Peter Thomson

Turned pro: 1947
Professional victories: Over 100 world-wide
Major championships: 5 (all in British Open)
Other honours: President of Australian Professional Golfers Association from 1962-1994. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998. Victorious non-playing captain of the International team in the 1998 Presidents Cup.

Greg Norman

Turned pro: 1976
Professional victories: 91
Major championships: 2
Other honours: Became the first person in Tour history to surpass $10 million in career earnings. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. Finished the season on top of the Official World Rankings on seven occasions and held down the No.1 spot for a staggering 331 weeks (only Tiger Woods has held it longer)

Karrie Webb

Turned pro: 1994
Professional victories: 49
Major championships: 7
Honours: Inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005 as a 25-year-old. Received Order of Australia medal for her service to golf and to the community as a supporter of a range of health and disability organisations. Former world No.1 and currently still in top-10.

The final verdicts

PETER THOMSON

Five-time British Open Champion, World Golf Hall of Fame member
“I have no hesitation in saying Karrie Webb is the greatest golfer we have produced. When she appeared on the scene some 15 years ago she looked as gifted as they come and her performances since then have shown that she is the best. She’s won Majors and climbed to the top of the ladder in the US and you can’t do much more than that.”

IAN BAKER-FINCH

British Open winner
“I think both Peter (Thomson) and Greg (Norman) would have been champions of whatever era they played but I think it is impossible to compare players from different eras. Peter has five majors, therefore the best record regardless. Greg inspired a generation of young Australians as the No.1 in the world rankings for the majority of a decade. It’s always a tough choice and one that will be argued for decades to come.”

JACK NEWTON

Australian Open winner
The voice of Australian Golf
“There’s no question about it. None of our men have won seven majors. Peter Thomson won five British Opens but that was before all the Americans were playing. Greg Norman won a couple but no-one has achieved anything like Karrie has achieved. And she definitely has one of the finest swings I’ve ever seen.”

LAURA DAVIES

English legend with more than 70 victories world-wide
“(Karrie Webb) is like Tiger (Woods). If he does not win a tournament for three weeks, he is in a slump. It gets a bit silly really. She is one of the best players in the world.”

WARREN SEVIL

ALPG chief executive officer
“Karrie has won more Majors than any other Australian, was world No.1 and remains inside the top-10 today and is still winning in her 16th year on Tour. In terms of on-course achievements – she’s the greatest.”

MICHAEL COURT

Golfer Pacific
“I grew up idolising Greg Norman and still rate him third only to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the best golfers I have seen. I maintain that the calibre of fields that Greg met – and beat – in all his wins, including two Open championships, was superior to the ones Thommo had to beat in his five British Opens. Likewise, in the women’s ranks, there are less than a half dozen players we would call superstars of the women’s game. Granted Karrie is one of them, but the women’s game still has a long way to go to match the men.”

MICHAEL DAVIS

Golfer Pacific
“It’s tough comparing different eras and different sexes. However, I have often thought that apart from Sir Donald Bradman, Greg Norman could be our next best performer on the world stage. I base this on the quality of fields he played against and the number of times he contended in the big ones. I’m prepared to forgive him for not being able to nail a couple more Majors. You also have to look at the longevity of his career. The bloke almost won a third British Open in his mid 50s!”

BRAD CLIFTON

Golfer Pacific
“I’ve always found it hard to split Norman and Webb. I’ve had the pleasure of watching both closely over the years and while Thomson’s record in the Open Championship is nothing short of remarkable, Norman and Webb’s respective reigns as world No.1 and dominance on home soil when the game desperately needed to get people through the gates is what sets them apart for me. It’s hard to go past Norman, given the way he has inspired a nation, but if Major victories are the No.1 criteria then you’d have to give it to Webb. Put simply – she’s put the women’s game on the map.”