No matter what happens in British Open's final round, Greg Norman didn't choke: There's no choking at age 53

Do I really need to explain why I'm posting as William Hung, Chrissy? Kinda self explanatory.

Nonsense, you can always choke. I think you choked while penning your piece.

Dennis Miller had a classic jab on Leno at Alec Baldwin's nonsensical political comments....he commented on the fact that Mr Baldwin lives in his own little world callled Baldwinnia.
I think everyone has an idea of where im going with this.

Well, sadly, Norman did choke it away. There's no getting around it.

Sorry Judge, no choke. You cannot choke when you're a part-time player competing in a legit major at age 53. Norman barely plays competitive golf these days.

That's no choke, just not the storybook finish to an already unbelievable tale.

Right. At 53, there's only acid reflux.

Wow, I'm impressed my new found chipmunk friend. Two articles in a row without an insult to Tony Romo.

Of course, he choked in the second round of an amatuer golf tournament he had a lead in yesterday and unless he pulls out the win today, I'm sure you will be chastising him with choke insult blogs again. Story is, he also lost three straight years of playoff games with Eastern Illinois in College as starting QB, all great regular seasons. So maybe it is just a trend in championships. Maybe he will win this one?

Maybe I'm braggin' on yah too early.

Well, Chris, you're not applying common sense. Choking is a MENTAL BREAKDOWN, and if it occurred, it occurred. You can choke at age 7, or 70; you can choke if you practice 5 hours a day, or 5 hours a month. Choking is when your mental state is so compromised due to nervousness that you cannot play at the level of which your capable.

But I'll make it simple for you. We know that Norman played far worse in the final round than in the first three; that is a fact. Now, if you had to bet your life, what would you say the cause was? Was it physical, technical or mental? You can say what you want here, but in your heart there is no way you'd bet on the first two.

Lastly, the relativism typical of our age is apparent here. Some of you speak as if choking is something relative, which can only manifest itself when certain unrelated criteria are met, such as the individual in question being of a certain age or practicing a minimum amount of time. Well, this is like saying that a given player could not have been mentally tough because he's only 12 or is a woman. Again, choking is the result of a real and specific mental state, one that can manifest itself in a person regardless of age, race, religion, sex, creed or practice habits.

Judge, How many 50+ year old players have been in contention in a major for THREE rounds? I'd attribute the bad round (hardly a collapse given the extreme course conditions) to physical fatigue more than mental choking.

If the wind had been calm and everyone around him was shooting in the 60's, THEN you could call it a choke. It looked like the average score yesterday was in the mid-to-high 70's, so the weather and the course dominated the players, and the 53-year old Norman basically played to the level of the rest of the field.

Okay, Judge, no need to belabor the point. He choked when he was supposed to be the best player in the world, and he choked again on Sunday. Norman choking is nothing new at all. But this time, he's 53, and took the 54-hole lead almost by accident. Ultimately, he finished T3, which is a mighty performance from someone of his age. Let's just give him a pat on the back and have done with it.

Dave,

I give credit where credit is due. Norman is a phenomenal talent, a physical specimen and a great athlete. And in light of his and viewing this in retrospect, it really isn't surprising that he was able to contend.

However, between the ears is a different matter. If Norman had Woods' mental toughness, he probably would have won almost as many majors and prevailed on Sunday.

Moreover, even if it wasn't a full-fledged choke, the bottom line is that he faltered the British mainly because of psychological factors.

I would partially disagree with Smails, looking at it more like craps game. Clearly, Norman was playing beyond his current capabilities and eventually he had to come back to earth. Speaking from a purely physical point of view, at his (and mine) age it's tough to play in world class golf in those conditions for 4 straight days no matter how fit you are.

Now, having said that, I think his game plan of hitting driver so much was fairly moronic. But that's always been the way he played. and that in good part is why he's only won 2 Majors. Extreme conditions demand good thinking and that's never been GN's strong suit.

Shanks,

Deviation toward the mean occurred to me, but I don't think it was the main cause of Norman's stumble. I'll illustrate my point.

In 1998, 58-year-old Jack Nicklaus, visibly limping due to a bad hip (this was just before his hip-replacement surgery), found himself in contention for the Masters after three rounds. On the final day, he closed in grand style by shooting a 68, his best round of the tournament. Alas, it wasn't enough for a victory, as he was too far back. But he did thrill the crowds and finish only three or four shots behind the winner, Mark O'Meara.

Here is my point: If a 50-something Nicklaus had found himself playing well enough to be two strokes in the lead at the British going into the final round, do you really think he would have closed with a 77?

I understand that not everyone is Nicklaus, but that's my point. It's the difference between someone who rises to the occasion and someone who folds.

Norman folds more than a Chinese laundry.

You are correct Judge, Norman always did falter when it mattered most. It's a big, big shame really.

I knew he'd mess it up on Sunday though. For the first three days, he looked like he was enjoying it. On Sunday, he just look tired.

My opinion, such as it is and for what it's worth, is that Norman just simply ran out of energy. I don't really think it was a 'choke' per se, although he HAS had his moments in the past.

Shucks y'all - I'm 5 years younger than he is, in very good physical condition, and have a 4 handicap - his Sunday score was pretty darn impressive for the conditions...I would have been hard pressed to do as well if it were DAY ONE instead of FOUR!!

Erm, BV, I don't mean to sound gruff, but you wouldn't stand a chance against Greg Norman in any conditions. Where are you comparing yourself with him? You're not even eligible to attempt to qualify for the Open. A 77 in the final day of the Open in those conditions is nothing like shooting your handicap around your local course. I don't quite understand.