Greg Norman still wonders why Tiger Woods has kept him at arm’s length for more than a quarter-century. Their careers once overlapped at the game’s highest level, yet the Australian says every attempt to build a friendship with Woods has been politely deflected. “For 25 or more years, I’ve never really understood it,” Norman admitted in a recent 65-minute phone interview.

Norman’s puzzlement comes despite seeing Woods warmly mentor players such as Bryson DeChambeau , who once shared long-range sessions with Tiger, and Patrick Reed , a captain’s pick on Woods’s victorious 2019 Presidents Cup team. “Did either hesitate to leave the Tour out of allegiance to Tiger? No, not at all,” Norman said, calling both “independent thinkers.” For Norman, that independence underscores

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