Tour News (posted 14th October 1998)

Greg Norman ready to play again after surgery

Reuters

Melbourne, Australia - Australian golfer Greg Norman has declared that he is back on course to make a comeback as early as next month.

The former world number one is gradually increasing his workload after undergoing surgery in April to repair his damaged left shoulder and is confident of making a complete recovery.

"I'm ready to play a tournament now. There's absolutely no problem with the shoulder," Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper quoted Norman as saying on Wednesday.

Norman said he plans to make his comeback at the Shark Shootout in California in mid-November, followed by the U.S. Skins.

He will then travel to Australia to compete at the Australian Open in Adelaide in the first week of December before taking his place in the Rest of the World team for the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

"I'm ready to play a tournament now, so in a month and a half I'm going to be more ready," he said.

"My passion for the game and competitive nature will always have me wanting to play."

Norman, 43, was cleared by doctors last month to start practising. He began slowly by chipping and wedging but is now using the full bag of clubs.

"I'm on a routine now where I practice for about two and a half weeks and then take 10 days off. That's the way the doctors want me to do it," Norman said.

"I can hit a driver every day now, about six of them at the end of my practice routine. So I'm basically making a full swing."