GOLF: Terry Dennis
NOT completely satisfied with establishing himself as the=20 world’s number one golfer, Nick Price is planning to=20 achieve something that has been beyond the reach of the=20 all-time golfing greats from Byron Nelson through to=20 Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
For all of their success, none of them ever quite got=20 round to winning all four majors in a row. Price is=20 halfway there. Winner of the British Open at Turnberry in=20 July and the US PGA the following month, he will attempt=20 to complete the set with the US Masters at Augusta in=20 April and the US Open in June.
If he succeeds in his attempt it will have been achieved=20 in 10 months and will be further proof that he is indeed=20 number one.
But as he said: “I know what kind of hurdles there are=20 ahead for Augusta and for the US Open. You know it’s a=20 very tall order. I’d only won one major championship=20 going into last year, now having won two more, I doubled=20 my quota. Even though it’s at the back of my mind I’m not=20 going to be pre-occupied with the thought of it.”
The likeable Zimbabwean won his first major, the US PGA=20 in St Louis in 1992, and since then has strung together=20 an incredible 17 tour victories. Asked what it takes to=20 become an all-time great player, he said: “I think you=20 would have to win all four majors, but you could not=20 leave out Sam Snead or Tom Watson and they never achieved=20 that feat.=20
“One of my prerequisites for that accolade is that for a=20 certain time a player completely dominates the game and=20 Jack Nicklaus did that longer than anyone. But it’s very=20 hard to do that now as there are so many good players all=20 in with a chance.”
In 1982 as a virtual unknown Price teed up in the Open=20 championship at Royal Toon only to be pipped at the post=20 after four days by Tom Watson. six years later at Royal=20 Lytham he was six shots clear going into the final round=20 only to fail again at the final hurdle, beaten by the=20 charismatic Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.
Six years later he threw off the bridesmaid’s mantle by=20 lifting the trophy at Turnbery. As he said after his=20 victory, “I had one hand on it 1982, the other on it in=20 1988, but this year I’ve got both hands on it.”
His runaway six-stroke victory in the 1994 US PGA only=20 served to confirm his arrival on the world stage. After=20 his win Ben Crenshaw said, “He’s magnificent to watch.=20 He’s so strong and that’s one thing that’s overlooked in=20 striking the ball.”
To further confirm his emergence as the dominant force in=20 the world today, taking on his great friend and world=20 number two Greg Norman in head to head matchplay in the=20 Alfred Dunhill Challenge, it went to the last hole, but=20 Price prevailed to win one-up and help Southern Africa=20 side to a 14-11 victory.
Asked what it was like to play Norman, Price said: “It’s=20 tough when you’re playing one of your best friends. It=20 was an unusual feeling going out there against him. But=20 we both went out there determined to put on a great show”