Norman On Fox Debut: “I think going in I’ll be as nervous as I was walking the first tee at Augusta National"
/If we're talking 1996 nervous then Saturday's debut of Fox Sports golf coverage should be pretty compelling!
Craig Handel of the News Press sat down Tuesday with Greg Norman and announcer Joe Buck, fresh off a Shark Shootout pro-am round to talk about Saturday's first telecast (Thursday and Friday on Golf Channel will also be helmed by Fox's production team).
Norman added, “I think going in I’ll be as nervous as I was walking the first tee at Augusta National ...
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but this ranks in my top five. I’m really excited and want to make this work.”
While Buck said that’s a style he tries to emphasize for all sports, Norman said, “There will be moments when I’ll probably have to know when to carry it with silence or carry it by talking. Many people have asked, ‘What would you have said in the booth when Tiger improperly placed the ball on the 15th hole?’ I said I would’ve called it. You make the comment and live with the consequences.”
Impressive that Greg knew it was a violation on the spot!
Based on their 20-minute interview Tuesday, the two seem comfortable with each other.
Buck said, “Greg is the most interesting man in the world and I’m just drafting off that.”
When asked about the course, Buck quickly quipped, “I don’t like it.”
Quickly responding, Norman said, “That’s because you never were on the course.”
As for humor, like that which you just experienced...
While Norman will be opinionated and Buck will interject humor, he said that’s also a balance.
“We’ll have fun and make it light, but you also have to respect the game,” Buck said. “Respect the view of who is watching and why they’re watching.”