Marcus Fraser

Do you think golf and its traditions can be good for someone’s character?

Sure. A lot of the time there are no referees around, but you’re out there playing the game and trying to shoot the best score you can, so it’s entirely up to you how you conduct yourself, play the game and play to the rules. There’s a lot of etiquette that goes with golf and it’s definitely a gentlemen’s sport, and that’s the way we were all brought up as kids. That’s the way golfers like to be known as and hopefully are. It’s all up to you out there.

Would you agree that the true greats of the game have left their mark as much by their character as by the titles they’ve won?

For sure. Obviously, [Jack] Nicklaus, [Tom] Watson, [Greg] Norman and obviously Tiger [Woods] are all the greats of the game and won all these majors and tournaments around the world. They’re very competitive people and it’s no surprise that they won multiple golf tournaments. I don’t know any of them personally, but I’m sure they’re very similar off the course to what they are on the course.

Are there any specific examples of True Character on the course that have inspired you?

I’d say Darren Clarke’s win at the [2006] Irish Open. His ball was almost unplayable when I think there was a rain or weather delay, then when he came back the next day he found someone had trampled down the grass around his ball. However, he basically played the shot he had originally would have hit, hitting out to the fairway. It just described perfectly the game we play and how you should conduct yourself on the golf course.

A lot of people say it’s one of the most amazing things they’ve seen on the golf course, but Darren just said that’s the way he was brought up to play the game. I think there are many guys out there who would do the same thing, but it’s nice to see someone to do it and obviously Darren being Irish and doing it in the Irish Open was pretty cool. It reiterates why we love this game.

Which particular golfer do you most admire and what is it about their character that most impresses you?

As an Australian kid growing up, Greg Norman was basically ‘the man’. He had so much aura about him. He was a businessman off the golf course, but he was almost like that on the golf course as well. He went out there and was so competitive, and he wanted to shoot the best score he could shoot. Off the course, he wanted to do the best deal he could do for his company. Again, there’s so much aura about him that you can't not respect the guy and not want to be like him.

Have you ever met him?

Yeah, I played with him twice. I think he’s in his mid-50s now. It was only a couple of years ago that I played with him the last time. He’s still as competitive as ever on the golf course. It’s no surprise why he won two majors and 80-odd tournaments around the world.