COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Greg Norman plays more recreational tennis these days than serious golf thanks to his new bride, Chris Evert.
Yet, here he is hitting the links like he's 33 instead of 53.
Credit the bliss, and for that, thank his new bride.
"It's reflected in my game, but it's more contentment with life," Norman said.
Norman went straight from his honeymoon to the 54-hole lead at the British Open, where he finished third, then followed that up a tie for fifth at the Senior British Open last week.
Norman brings his rejuvenated game to the U.S. Senior Open this week at The Broadmoor, where Evert's name is engraved in stone commemorating the opening 14 years ago of the mountain resort's world class tennis center.
"I'm not the lone wolf here, but we all know if you're happy in life, everything else in the world seems pretty darn good," Norman said. "My golf is where it is now because I love being where I am now."
The two were married this month after his $103 million divorce became final.
The 53-year-old Australian golfer won the British Open in 1986 and 1993. Evert has 18 Grand Slam singles titles to her name.
"We sit back and we have conversations about things in general and things in life and the respect we have for each other and our respective careers," Norman said.
Their sports may be dissimilar but their desires to win are identical, he said.
"It's wonderful to have a companion and your wife to be able to sit back and talk about it," Norman said.
All this marital merriness and great golf, however, doesn't make Norman want to drop everything he's doing in his business ventures and return to the fairways full-time.
"It really doesn't make me want to play more," he said. "I just want to play better."
On Monday, he turned down an invitation to play in the PGA Championship, deciding to stick to a previous commitment instead of competing for the fourth straight week.
The PGA Championship will be played Aug. 7-10 at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township, Mich.
