Golf: Aussie golfer really teed off at Norman

Greg Norman won five Australian Opens. Picture / Reuters

MELBOURNE - Australian golfer Mark Hensby has launched a stinging attack on former world No 1 Greg Norman, accusing his famous countryman of not giving enough back to the local game and of failing to assist young players.

In an extraordinary tirade on the eve of the Australian Open at Moonah Links, Hensby said Norman should be coming to the rescue of Australian golf and using his influence to attract sponsors to the cash-strapped local professional circuit.

Hensby also suggested Norman should invest some of his wealth in a series of tournaments in Australia.

Norman was unapproachable and had snubbed young Australians in American tournaments that carry his name, Hensby said.

"I can't see why Greg Norman is not doing anything."

"To me, he should be doing a little bit more ... to make sure it [the Australasian PGA Tour] doesn't go downhill."

Hensby, a winner on the PGA Tour in the United States this year, is playing this week in a championship that has struggled in recent years to attract a major sponsor.

The Open is the flagship event of an Australian circuit that has been reduced to only four fully-fledged events, none of which carries even one third of the prizemoney of any single tournament on the PGA Tour.

The situation has come to a head at the Open with no appearance money being paid.

As a result no big-name foreign player will tee off at Moonah Links this week.

Describing Norman as a "very powerful man", Hensby teed off on the five-time Open winner, accusing him of failing to use his experience to help young Australians.

Hensby said, "Greg has never gone out of his way to help Australian golfers ... we all looked up to him. He isn't the easiest person to talk to."

Hensby said he would have no problem taking his opinions directly to Norman and claimed many players shared his views.

Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby, however, are not among them.

"Pretty sad", was how Allenby described Hensby's comments.

Allenby said he had nothing but the greatest admiration for Norman. "Greg is Australian golf. He doesn't owe the tour anything," Allenby said.

He pointed out that Norman had sponsored the Greg Norman Holden Classic in Sydney and Melbourne for several years and had always been available to support other Australian golfers on the international scene.

"I didn't see the Mark Hensby Holden Classic," he said.

He said Hensby's accusation that Norman did not offer advice to younger Australian golfers came because "he doesn't have the balls to go up and talk to him".

Appleby also supported Norman.

"Greg has done a huge amount for Australian golf," Appleby said.

"I don't think he can make a huge difference now."

Appleby's said the major factor in any revival of the Australasian PGA Tour would be for one of the current crop of players to approach Norman's former stature.

"It will be one of our top 10 doing something," he said.

- AAP