Grady first made headlines around the world at Royal Troon in 1989 when he looked like becoming only the second Australian golfer since Peter Thomson to lift the Claret Jug. Considered something of a journeyman, Grady entered the championship on the back of his first American tour victory at the Westchester Classic, then one of the PGA Tour’s biggest events, and instantly made his mark on the Scottish links. Taking the lead on Friday, Grady held on gamely until he made a bogey at the penultimate hole of the tournament to fall into a play-off with American Mark Calcavecchia and childhood friend Greg Norman. His concentration broken, Grady would end up losing to Calcavecchia, whose win also condemned Norman to yet another runner-up finish in a major.
“Troon is still very disappointing, but it would have haunted me to this day had I not won the US PGA the following year,” said Grady, who turned pro at the age of 21 with only A$9 (about HK$65) in his pocket. “I remember a reporter followed me outside the media tent following the play-off and asked if I felt sorry for Greg. I could have hit him. I really didn’t care about Norman. I went out for a few drinks that night, but it certainly wasn’t in celebration.”
