Written by Adam Schwartz
Tiger Woods once said in a SportsCenter interview with Chris Connelly, “There are only two golfers who have owned their swings: Ben Hogan and Moe Norman.” We all know who Hogan is, but the late Moe Norman is far from a household name. Moe was fascinated with numbers, shy with people, and a pure perfectionist when it came to hitting the ball.
His enigmatic characteristics translated to perfection on the golf course. Moe was the best ball striker that very few people had the opportunity to see in person.
Though a completely self-taught player, a physicist once declared that Moe had the most scientifically sound swing in golf. He had 17 holes-in-one, nine double eagles, shot a 59 three times in professionally sanctioned events, won over 50 professional tournaments, and set 30 course records. He also introduced the phenomena of “natural golf,” which was a popular and successful philosophy countless professional PGA instructors adopted during his career.
 |
| Moe Norman |
Hitting the ball perfectly straight and with precision accuracy usually breeds success on professional tours. The only downfall in Moe’s game was putting; only near the end of his life did he proclaim he learned how to putt. He routinely shot his age until his passing in 2004.
Although Moe enjoyed success on the Canadian tours, the PGA Tour, and the Senior PGA Tour, he never became a household name in the United States. He did spend half of his time in Florida, conducting clinics, playing events, and practicing during the winters.
One of the significant reasons for this is his reluctance to be in the spotlight. Although never diagnosed, Moe was said to have autism, which played a key role in his behavior. It was also said that he actually suffered a sledding accident as a young boy, in which he hit his head on a car bumper, that caused his personality quirks. Never a fan of medical treatment, he never found out how the accident affected him.
Moe’s personality is what distinguished him from any other professional player in his generation, the next generation, and future generations. I had the opportunity to meet a gentleman who played over 30 rounds with him. He explained that it took 10-12 rounds until Moe would even say a word to him. When he did, Moe always had a certain rhythmic way of talking, almost like he was singing. Like Dustin Hoffman’s character in the movie “Rain Man,” he would repeat himself when talking about numbers.
Moe had limited social skills and few friends, but there was an important person in his life that gave him financial stability throughout his career. Wally Uihlein, CEO of the Acushnet Company (the mother corporation of Titleist), gave Moe a standing contract of $5,000 a month to help him out. But, Moe would still live out of his car while in Florida traveling to conduct clinics. The only items you would find in his car were his Honma steel shafted clubs reinforced by graphite, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s.
Moe definitely loved the game of golf. He proclaimed that golf is the ultimate happiness.
Even though few Americans had the opportunity to meet him, including yours truly, looking him up on YouTube or reading articles derived from Golf Digest, USA Today, or Golfweek bring his character to life.
I would like to thank Kurt Herman for his knowledge and guidance through the story of Moe’s life when he knew him.
