Greg Norman is a busy man these days. But amid designing courses, selling wine and putting his trademark shark logo on anything and everything, he snuck in 18 holes with ForbesLife writer Monte Burke.

The two-time British Open Champ is more famous for his second place finishes in majors: seven in all. Burke didn't even wait until the back nine to ask him about those losses.

As we make our way through the front nine, I ask Norman about those losses. He admits that he had recently talked to his wife (Kirsten, an interior designer whom he married in 2010) about them. Sometimes he just lost, he says. Shot a 67 on the final day and was beaten by a better score. But what about the others, I ask? Were they chokes? “Some of them, yes,” he says, softly.

“The hardest ones for me are the two I lost to Mize and Tway,” he says. The two men–Bob Tway at the 1986 PGA and Larry Mize at the 1987 Masters–holed near-miracle chips to beat him. “That didn’t happen to other golfers. Those are the ones when you start to wonder about destiny. But if I dwell on it too much, it starts to turn me into a friggin’ psychopath.”

The entire story runs in the June 24 issue of ForbesLife.

(Photo: AP)

By Josh Sens

We golfers are a famously self-punishing lot, keen to wallow in our own misfortunes, to revel in the memory of our rotten luck.

Masochism comes so naturally to us that it’s easy to forget: there’s always someone out there who’s got it worse.

I say this as a segue into the mention of Craig Wood, who took his share of lumps during his career, with an agonizing five second-place showings in majors. Compared to him, Greg Norman had a horseshoe up his you-know-what.

It’s not just the fact of Wood’s narrow losses. It’s the manner in which he fell.

At the 1933 British Open, he lost in a playoff at St. Andrews after nuking a drive that flew so far it wound up plunking into the Swilcan Burn.

In ’34, Wood became the bridesmaid at Augusta when Horton Smith drained two long putts on the final holes to triumph by a single shot. Later that season, more foul fortune: Wood lost in a playoff at the PGA Championship to a former assistant pro.

But his most famous defeat came in ’35, when he led the Masters in the final round only to be tied improbably on Sunday by Gene Sarazen and his double-eagle: the shot heard 'round the world.

The Squire won in a playoff the next day.

Like a lot of golfers, I’ve been consumed for so long with my own troubles that I’d never paid much heed to Wood’s frustrations.

But there his name appeared, shouting out to me this past week in an unlikely forum: a non-golf-related article in the New York Times.

The piece focused on the writer Gilbert King, who, it just so happens, was playing golf in Florida earlier this month when he learned he’d been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys and the Dawn of a New America.

The book is the true tale of true misfortune: it recounts the story of four black men who were falsely accused of raping a young white women in 1949.

Reading the Times piece, I also learned that King had written recently about Craig Wood, whom King describes as “the unluckiest golfer of all time.” If you haven’t seen that article, it’s worth a look.

Among the indignities King’s article describes is how Wood, at Augusta in ’35, was safely in the clubhouse after his Sunday round, his name already written on the winner’s check, when Sarazen carded his historic deuce.

If Wood was ever bitter, he never showed it.

And even if he was, golf doesn’t have him to kick around anymore. Wood died in 1968, a final misfortune that came a few months shy of his 67th birthday.

For all its dark fringes, I liked reading Wood’s story: feeling sorry for him was a welcome distraction from my own self-pity.

I recommend it, next time you’re feeling a bit woe-is-me.

Photo: Craig Wood in 1954 (Time/Life Pictures).

'Tis the season for good will towards men, but according to a report by Tim Rosaforte, an angry Greg Norman is demanding the return of his memorabilia and that his name, along with fellow co-designer Pete Dye's name, be removed from The Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla.

Norman's issue is the club's hiring of former Dye disciple Bobby Weed to do a restoration of the original Norman-Dye design that opened in 1995.

In a letter sent to Medalist President De Mudd following a board meeting in early December, Norman demanded that the club stop using his name and Dye's in reference to the design of the course. Saturday morning he called the club to arrange an evening to pick up his belongings. His name will remain on the locker room wall as winner of both the gross and net divisions of the club's member-guest.

"It's really a slap in the face at the end of the day," Norman said via email. "It's the end of a legacy by the board doing what the board is doing now. It hurts a lot to tell the truth. It's a shame."

According to Rosaforte, Mudd's switch to a dues-only program for pros is a big reason why several high-profile PGA Tour players now regularly practice and play at The Medalist Golf Club, including Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson.

RELATED: Top 100 Courses in the United States

Greg Norman is at it again.

In September, Norman said Tiger Woods was intimidated by Rory McIlroy and that Tiger "really can't keep up with Rory." This week, Norman said McIlroy has a better chance of getting to 19 majors than Woods.

According to a report by Australian Golf Digest, Norman spoke out after the pro-am at the Australian PGA Championship:

"I think if anybody can break Nicklaus's record I think he could, because he is young, he is ahead of the game, he is ahead of the curve on a lot of things and he has a very balanced life across the board," Norman said.

"So I will keep my fingers crossed for him 'cause I would love to see that happen because somebody will do it one day and it could be Rory.

"I am a big fan of Rory's, I think he's really the tip of the iceberg. He can be as big as he wants to be."

(Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)

According to a report by The New York Times, Greg Norman said he remembers a time when "lots of guys were on beta blockers" on the PGA Tour:

“It wasn’t openly acknowledged, but it was obvious to the rest of us. A guy’s personality would change. In practice rounds or friendly matches, we’d see the real guy under stress. Then in competition, he was like a different, calmer person. Those guys were trying to take the nerves out of the game. But nerves are very much a part of the game.”

In 2008, when the PGA and LPGA Tours adopted anti-doping policies, beta blockers were included on the banned substance list.

Charlie Beljan's panic attack and win at the Children's Miracle Network Classic did more than just secure his place on the PGA Tour next year. It has also brought up the discussion of beta blockers once again.

According to the Times report, Beljan will meet with his doctors near his Arizona home to discuss potential treatment plans this week. If Beljan is required to take medication to treat his anxiety, he will be required to apply for a therapeutic-use exemption, which will require a review by an independent panel of doctors, to continue the medication during competition.

Last week, Greg Norman fed the hype machine by suggesting the Tiger Woods was "intimidated" by Rory McIlroy.

Despite catching criticism from corners disparate and multiple, the Shark stood by his comments -- and took a swing at the blogosphere -- in a Friday post on his Facebook page. As not to give Norman more ammunition, here is his follow-up in full:

Got off the plane from Beijing this morning and my Iphone just blew up with emails and voicemails regarding my interview with Robert Lusetich of Fox Sports. It seems that everyone from Charles Barkley (no Charles I was not referencing or comparing Tiger's record to mine) to John Doe has weighed in on my quote regarding intimidation. I stand by my comments and for those that choose to read the full article and not just "grasp" and "react" to one word will notice that the headline and byline were inconsistent with the content of what Robert wrote. When you look at my comments in the full context of the article, you will see that it provides a more balanced view of my sentiments on this topic. Which is, since the PGA Championship Tiger has not made any impact on the weekend in passing Rory for the title. This has not happened in his career prior to this run by Rory. During the PGA Championship broadcast I spoke at length about Tiger and I maintain that no one has swung the club better in the history of the game, especially during the year 2000. At the end of the day, Tiger is a great athlete and a great student of the game and he will continue to win, but we are seeing a transition away from his dominance. Rivalry and parity is great for the game of golf. Unfortunately for Rory, I think that the trademark for “The Intimidator” is already registered with Dale Earnhardt.

Personally, we at Rumors have all the sympathy in the world for Greg: I can't tell you how many times I've returned from a trip to Beijing only to find my words all over the Internet. And let me tell you: It's rough.

Jack Nicklaus has a message for Greg Norman. Well, it's more of a command: "Down boy."

The Golden Bear said as much on ESPN Radio 980 on Wednesday, when asked about Norman's well publicized claims that Tiger Woods is intimidated by Rory McIlroy, and in bad decline.

Quiet Greg, quiet. Down boy. I think Tiger had a pretty darn good year this year. It’s the first time he has gotten himself back into contention in the majors, he didn’t finish them and I think by his own admission he said he had a hard time finishing them. That’s like anything else. He had a pretty big event in his life that changed a lot of things and he has to learn how to go back and play again. I think he’s learned how to play again, now he has to learn how to finish again. I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him.

Nicklaus went on in his usual, measured way to praise this new (post-Norman) generation of golfers, who he sees as willing to go toe-to-toe with anyone, Tiger or no Tiger:

He does have a lot more competition. During the couple of years when Tiger wasn’t really there all of the sudden you have Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and I could probably name a half dozen other guys that have all won and learned how to win in Tiger’s absence. They’re not scared of him anymore. Before Tiger just showed up coming down the stretch and everybody said ‘oh there’s Tiger and I wilt.’ They don’t do that anymore. Tiger’s got his work cut out for him, but I don’t think Tiger is by any means finished. I just think Tiger is too good of an athlete and too good of a player.”

Click here for the complete transcript of Nicklaus's interview at SportsRadioInterviews.com

In his press conference Wednesday at East Lake Country Club, Rory McIlroy joked about Greg Norman's recent comment that Tiger Woods is "intimidated" by McIlroy:

Q. Greg Norman made some headlines with comments saying that Tiger is intimidated by you. Did you see those comments and what were those thoughts?

RORY McILROY: He's got a new nickname for me, actually. He calls me the Intimidator. He's obviously seen them too [smiling]. No, how can I intimidate Tiger Woods? I mean, the guy's got 75 or 70‑whatever PGA TOUR wins, 14 majors. I mean, he's been the biggest thing ever in our sport. I mean, how could some little 23‑year‑old from Northern Ireland with a few wins come up and intimidate him. It's just not possible. I don't know where he got that from, but it's not true [laughing].

Q. Was there ever a time when you were intimidated by Tiger?

RORY McILROY: No, I don't think intimidated is the right word. More just in awe of what he's done, of his accomplishments, of his achievements, but never intimidated.

Q. On the same lines here with Tiger, the fact that you've won four times with him sort of breathing down your neck this year. How satisfying is that, and what does that say about your development?

RORY McILROY: It is a great feeling to be able to hold off the best players in the world. He came charging on me at the Honda this year, and I was able to hang on and win there. At the Deutsche Bank he was in the group ahead of us and making a run. Not so much last week at the BMW, he was a little far behind. But you look at the leaderboards the last few weeks and you see all the great names and top players on those leaderboards, and to be able to come out on top in recent weeks is obviously very satisfying.

McIlroy has never before teed it up in the Tour Championship, but he's the hottest golfer on the planet and the clear front-runner to take home the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize. However, the other names in the top five on the points list are Woods, Watney, Mickelson and Snedeker. McIlroy will play the first two rounds of the Tour Championship with Woods, as he has throughout the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Q. Are you sick of playing with Tiger, and do you think he's sick of playing with you?

RORY McILROY: [Laughing] No, it's great. It's a great position to be in. Every time that we get paired up, I'm obviously very excited for it. It's a great buzz. It's a great buzz around the group. So, no, it's still a great thing for me. You'll have to ask him if he feels the same way. But for me it's very exciting, and I'm looking forward to that first tee on Thursday.

Tiger Woods also laughed off Norman's comments at his press conference Wednesday.

Q. Greg Norman made some headlines yesterday saying that you're intimidated by Rory. Did you see those comments and what were your thoughts?

TIGER WOODS: It's got to be the hair, yeah.

Q. Are you intimidated by Rory?

TIGER WOODS: As I said, it's got to be the hair.

Q. Have you ever been intimidated by any other golfers?

TIGER WOODS: No, no one is the size of Ray Lewis who is going to hit me coming over the middle, so this is a different kind of sport. We go out there and we play our own game. And see where it falls at the end of the day. As I said, it's not like you go over the middle and some guy is 255 pounds and going to take your block off. This is about execution and going about your own business and see where tends up at the end of the day. It's just the nature of our sport, which is different than some sports. Some individual sports, such as tennis, you actually can do that physically, because you're playing against somebody. Here no one is affecting any shots.

Since both players will be traveling to Chicago for the Ryder Cup after this week's finish, there's a chance they might find themselves facing off again next week.

Q. You said in a recent interview that you would look forward to maybe pairing with Tiger on Sunday at the Ryder Cup. Is this something that you guys have talked about? If so, have you brought it up to Jose [Olazabal, European captain]?

RORY McILROY: No, it's about the team. It's about the 12 guys as part of the European team and the US Team. It's not about one guy playing another guy. Of course there are a lot of people that would like to see it. It would be very exciting to be a part of, of course. But I just want to win as many points as possible for Europe, and that's all I can really do. I'm not going to sit here and lie and say I wouldn't enjoy it, because I would. But I think that's up to the captain to decide where I play and where he wants to put me, and whatever decision he makes is good with me.

You can read full transcripts of McIlroy and Woods' press conferences on asapsports.com.

Related: Ryder Cup Preview | Tour Championship tee times | Galleries: Tiger's career | Rory's career

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Despite all the awe-shucks talk coming from Rory McIlroy about his relationship with Tiger Woods, one former No. 1 doesn't buy all the good-natured razzing.

Greg Norman, whose 331 weeks atop the ranking are second only to Woods's 623, thinks that the young challenger is actually inside Tiger's head. In an interview with Robert Lusetich of Fox Sports, the Shark committed what, just a few years ago, would be golf-talk blasphemy.

“What I’m seeing is that Tiger’s really intimidated by Rory,” he says. “When have you ever seen him intimidated by another player? Never.

“But I think he knows his time’s up and that’s normal; these things tend to go in 15-year cycles.

“Jack took it from Arnold (Palmer). I took it from Jack, Tiger from me and now it looks like Rory’s taking it from Tiger.”

Norman went on to say that it's McIlroy -- not Woods -- who has the best shot to pass Nicklaus's record of 18 majors. Norman has a painfully long history of falling short in the big ones, and he understands pressing -- something he's seeing recently in Tiger's game:

“The more you want something, the more you reach for it, the more it gets pushed away,” Norman says. “I know all about that. I had that with the Masters.

“Tiger’s pushing himself harder and harder now because he’s not the force he used to be, and he knows it.”

Greg Norman came crashing into Switzerland for the Omega European Masters on Tuesday when the wheels on his private jet malfunctioned upon landing in Geneva, according to Golf Digest's Tim Rosaforte.

"We were going 60, 70, 80 knots, the wheel went 90 degrees, the nose started kangarooing and stuff in the cabin was going everywhere," Norman told Rosaforte later that day. "All the cabinets in the galley came out. The shaking was pretty violent. Nobody knew what was going on."

That's about the the Aussiest description we've ever heard of a near-death experience. Next time Greg, just take the yacht.