Given his tumultuous relationship with Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour, it surprised many when Greg Norman was named captain of the International President’s Cup team, especially with guys like Nick Price waiting in the wings for a captaincy.

One of those most surprised was two-time major champion David Graham, a fellow Aussie who was unceremoniously dumped as President’s Cup captain in 1996, just a couple of months prior to the event. Details of the team mutiny that led to his ouster are still unclear. Some think that Steve Elkington led the revolt after his pregnant wife asked to leave a White House reception early and Graham said no. Others speculated that Ernie Els was angry when Graham said he hoped players who skipped the President’s Cup would regret it the rest of their lives. Els opted not to play in the 1994 matches.

But the name that has come up most often is Norman’s. While Graham has no direct evidence that Norman led the revolt, the retired 61-year-old believes The Shark played a significant role. “I don’t know if he was the instigator or not, but he certainly did not stand up for my name and reputation when he was the only guy with the influence to stop that train wreck,” Graham said.

For his part, Nick Price had nothing but effusive praise for Norman and nothing but kind things to say about Graham. “Greg is a little older than I am, so it makes sense that he could come before me,” Price said. “I think he’ll do a great job. All the President’s Cup captains I played for became very close to the players. I always got on really well with David Graham, and thought he was a great captain.”

Graham doesn’t feel the same way about Norman. Not only does Graham have some strong opinions about the Shark’s captaincy, he has a few things to say about Norman’s legacy in the game.

“I don’t understand that whole situation,” Graham said from his Montana home. “I have never in my 40 years of being a member of the PGA Tour seen any player so critical of a commissioner. I don’t understand why he does it, and I don’t understand why he continues to be revered as this top figure, when all he has ever done is insult.”

Graham doesn’t understand the Norman mystique, either. “He threatened to sue the Tour! Good lord! Certainly golf has become a more world-wide game than it was a generation ago, but you don’t go to somebody else’s country screaming bloody blue murder about the way things are run. He goes on saying things like, ‘The world tour was my idea,’ yada, yada, yada. Well, get out the violin and keep playing.

"In my generation, someone like Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus would have come over to a young player like me and said, ‘Hey, son, don’t come over here and criticize our tour. You’re welcome to come and play, and we want you here because we want to compete against the best players in the world, but don’t come over here with that attitude. If you don’t like the system, you should go home.’ Clearly Arnold and Jack never had that conversation with Greg Norman.”

Not only is Norman’s head-butting with the tour puzzling to Graham, he also has questions about the timing of his President’s Cup selection. “I certainly thought they would pick somebody else for San Francisco, and pick Greg for Australia. Now I think they might do what they did with Jack and Gary and let them cycle through two events in a row,” he said.
  
“To his credit, Finchem makes those choices in what he thinks is the best interest of the game, and doesn’t let his personal problems with Greg Norman get into it,” Graham continued. “I guess Finchem is smart enough to say, ‘I don’t care what Greg Norman says about me, and not too many people are concerned by what he says anymore anyway.'"

Norman’s office responded by saying, “It is unfortunate that David would make those kinds of statements after all these years. Greg has moved on, and is looking forward to his role in the President’s Cup.”

Graham was less reserved. “The only thing I know for sure is that I will not be vice-captain,” he said with the chuckle. “That call won’t come, unless…well, I’ve already had one heart attack in the last three years. Maybe he wants me to have another one.”