Murray Irwin "Moe" Norman (July 10, 1929 – September 4, 2004) was a Canadian professional golfer. His accuracy and ability to hit shot after shot perfectly straight gave him the nickname "Pipeline Moe".
Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Norman developed his golf from childhood at the Rockway municipal course in that city, starting as a caddy in his pre-teen years. He refined his skills competing against talented area players such as Gary Cowan and Gerry Kesselring. He won back-to-back Canadian Amateur Championships in 1955 and 1956. He turned professional in 1957 and played briefly in the PGA Tour, but due to shyness, bullying he encountered from certain pros, and a preference to stay in Canada, he stayed primarily in Ontario rather than travel extensively outside Canada. In the 80s, Norman also played several events on the Senior PGA Tour.
Norman's play, along with his way of dressing, were both described as unconventional. He devised what is known as "The Norman Swing" —- rigid arms extended far from his body, a very wide stance with minimal knee bend, shorter-than-usual backswing and extended follow-through with minimal hand action, which produced amazingly accurate ball placement. He played extremely fast, sometimes not slowing to line up his putts. He was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1995. He was self-taught and never took a golf lesson.
Norman was known for sometimes unconventional behavior on the course. It is said that on one hole his caddy told him he could get to the green with a driver and a 9-iron. Naturally, he hit off the tee with his 9-iron and then hit the green with his driver.
Norman's skills as a ball striker are legendary. Sam Snead, himself one of the all-time greatest golfers, described Norman as the greatest striker of the ball. In January 2005, Tiger Woods, the biggest golf star of the modern era, told Golf Digest’s Jaime Diaz that only two golfers in history have "owned their swings": Moe Norman and Ben Hogan. Stated Woods, "I want to own mine." Late in his life, Norman found better financial security when Titleist, a major golf manufacturer, signed him to a lifetime contract to perform golf exhibitions across Canada after he allegedly told a reporter, "Titleist never did nothing for me."
Career Highlights
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Canadian Amateur Championship winner (1955, 1956);
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_Norman
*Note that Norman won seven consecutive Canadian Seniors’ Championships from 1979 to 1985 then won again in 1987, making that seven out of eight years.
-- the blog author
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"Unknown Legend" Moe Norman DiesBy Brent Kelley, About.com Guide, September 5, 2004
Is it possible for a golfer to be both unknown to most casual fans and a legend in the golf world? Yes, if you're talking about Moe Norman. The enigmatic, eccentric, infuriating and inspiring Norman - a golf genius according to many golf greats who say he was the greatest ballstriker they've ever seen - died Saturday at the age of 75.
There are many stories told about Norman, whose unusual swing lives on in the Natural Golf system. One of my favorites is of the time when Norman and Sam Snead were playing an exhibition. Both players needed about 250 yards to clear a stream. Snead laid up, then watched Norman prepare to go for it.
"You need to lay up, Moe," Snead told Norman, "you can't carry that creek." Norman replied, "I'm aiming for the bridge."
And after his laser-straight shot rolled right across the bridge, over the hazard, Snead didn't try telling Norman again how to play a shot.
Moe Norman burst onto the golf scene by dominating the amateur circuit in his native Canada in the 1950s and '60s. He would go on to set 33 course records, win 13 Canadian Tour events, play for Canada in the World Cup in 1971, shoot 59 three times and record 17 holes-in-one.
But Norman never won on the PGA Tour and, in fact, quit the PGA Tour after just a very brief appearance. If Norman was one of the best ball-strikers ever, renowned for his amazing accuracy - the kind of golfer others golfers stop to watch warm up - why didn't he win on the PGA Tour?
The real reasons for Norman's demons may never be known. He was an incredibly shy person, and there are some who have speculated that Norman might have been a "higher functioning autistic."
"Eccentric" doesn't begin to describe Norman's life. He often showed up for golf tournaments wearing terribly mismatched outfits. He played extremely fast, sometimes not even bothering to read a putt before making his strokes on the green. He was a trick shot artist on the driving range, but he sometimes took those tricks out onto the course with him - hitting his tee shots off Coke bottles, for example, during tournament play. He spoke very fast and often repeated phrases, and he never interacted well with galleries or strangers.
When he found he couldn't stand the conditions on the PGA Tour, Norman retreated to the friendlier and familiar places back home in Canada. And he continued winning, taking seven Canadian Senior PGA titles.
But he was never good with money and by the mid-80s was spending many nights, out of necessity, sleeping in his car. Moe Norman might well have been forgotten by most of the golf world had his association with Natural Golf not come about.
Norman became better known in recent years because of Natural Golf, an alternative teaching system developed in the early 1990s. Many people think Norman "invented" Natural Golf, but that isn't so. Natural Golf was developed independently of Norman, but once its similarities to Norman's swing were noticed, Norman and his legend were brought into the fold.
The year 1995 was a good year for Norman - he was elected to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. And he was also given a $5,000-a-month-for-life stipend by Titleist/FootJoy ... for doing nothing. Just to help out a legend who'd had some hard times.
The Edmonton Journal newspaper, in its obit for Norman, tells another story about him:
"There is another yarn about Ben Hogan and Norman hitting practice balls together in the 1950s.
"Hogan had always asserted that there was no such thing as an intentionally straight golf shot. After watching Norman hammer one perfectly straight shot after another, Hogan just scratched his head and walked away, suggesting that Norman "keep hitting those accidents."
http://golf.about.com/b/2004/09/05/unknown-legend-moe-norman-dies.htm
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Moe Norman was a Genius
I first heard of Moe Norman in 1983 while attending the San Diego Golf Academy. Two of my friends were from Canada and played a little on the Canadian Tour. I think their favorite pastime was telling me stories of Moe Norman and they had plenty. I was not familiar with the mannerisms they described when talking of Moe and I did not think the golf shots I heard of were probable. One thing was very obvious, the pride they felt in their fellow countryman Moe Norman, he was clearly a hero in their eyes.
Years later I began to hear of Moe in various articles or other media and all of the stories my friends had told me became instantly real. I began to research Moe and discovered the mannerisms were partially due to his autism. Interestingly enough my wife has spent a lifetime researching Autism, ADD, ADHD and Dyslexia. She is currently working with others to open a school for 1st through 8th using new and innovative teaching techniques that support their learning style. Through this discovery I have been privileged to get just a small look into the minds of these talented picture thinkers and am constantly awed.
Moe Norman was autistic as well as a savant; his quirky behavior was in part a result of these disabilities. What most folks do not know is that along with the quirky behavior caused by these so called learning disabilities come incredible abilities. The ability of imagination, focus, concentration, feel, insight, and often athletic ability are just some of those abilities. Moe Norman was blessed with many incredible abilities and in his words and actions are lessons for us all whether we play golf or search for insight and wisdom in our daily lives. I give so much credit to the Graves Golf Academy for sharing the thoughts, life and swing of Moe Norman because in my opinion within it is golfing perfection. In time I believe the world will realize that behind the quirky behavior of many of our incredible picture thinkers is a gift for the taking if we have the courage to discover it.
Edward L. Bezanson
PGA Professional
Canyon River Golf Club
http://moenorman.org/Moe_Norman_Stories?top_cms_id=39
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See also:
http://moenorman.org/ -- where his swing is still being taught
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