Jurassic Shark

Aging legend Greg Norman, the Shark, reemerged from obscurity to compete once more | Mark Bergin

Golf fans tuning in to the weekend rounds of the British Open last month may have experienced mild bewilderment—something akin to deboarding a time machine stuck two decades in the past. No less than a golf rock star nicknamed after the fiercest of wild beasts sat atop the leader board. But this crowd-pleasing shot maker was no Tiger. Instead, aging legend Greg Norman, the Shark, reemerged from obscurity to compete once more.

As if filling in for the injured Tiger Woods, the 53-year-old Australian navigated the links of Royal Birkdale with all the touch and ball-striking flair that propelled him to more than 80 professional victories and 331 weeks as the world's No. 1 ranked player between 1986 and 1998. On a track more wind tunnel than golf course, Norman out-gutted his younger competitors to a two-shot lead through Saturday. Everything about his game resembled the greatness of a bygone era.