Golf: Norby setting the record straight

Richard Dunn

When Ted Norby set the course record at Newport Beach Country Club,

there were no galleries, no CNBC television cameras and no members of the

Senior PGA Tour to compete against.

But, for the former Corona del Mar High and UC Irvine standout, his

10-under-par 61 was a career low, and, quite possibly, a score that could

last a long time.

“I’ve played a lot of golf, and that’s the best round I’ve seen,” said

local golf professional Eric Woods, who played with Norby that day along

with Dave Donnellan, a former assistant pro at the club.

“Evidently, (Norby) was hitting it stiff all day long near the flag

stick,” said Newport Beach Country Club President Jerry Anderson, who

verified the scorecard.

Norby, a teaching pro at Aviara Golf Academy in Carlsbad, shot

31-30--61 to break Hale Irwin’s 62, carded in the final round of the 1998

Toshiba Senior Classic.

“I’ve shot a few 66s and 67s,” Norby said. “We used to play there a

lot when I played at UCI (and the course was called Irvine Coast Country

Club).”

Norby, a 1982 CdM graduate who transferred from Arizona State to UCI,

hit a series of great iron shots on the last four holes to set up his

record round.

“The iron into 15, the iron into 16 -- after an excuse-me drive --

then the iron at 17, then the drive and 2-iron at 18, were all 10s,” said

Norby, who birdied the last four holes. “Those (approach) shots were as

good as I can hit four iron shots, and I hit them all in a row.”

Norby’s incredible run on the back nine, where he made six birdies and

three pars, was highlighted at the par-4 16, which was playing into the

wind and Norby “didn’t hit a great drive.”

But Norby recovered with a 5-iron to within two feet for birdie --

“that was a perfect shot there,” he said -- then followed it up with

birdies at 17 and 18 to close out his memorable round.

At 17, Norby backed off twice with a 6-iron in his hands, then pulled

out a 7-iron and crushed one to within five feet, sinking a tricky birdie

putt to go to 9-under.

At 18, Norby, according to Woods, “bombs a driver and hits a 2-iron

smack dab in the middle of the green,” setting up his 11th birdie

(against one bogey, at No. 5).

“I thought I played fine that day (with a 4-under 67),” Woods said,

“but (Norby) kicked my butt.”

Norby opened his round with four straight birdies, then bogeyed the

toughest hole on the golf course, the 455-yard par-4 No. 5, where his

putter failed him from five feet -- the only blemish on the scorecard.

Norby, a former Canadian Tour pro who twice played in the former

Newport Classic Pro-Am, birdied the par-3 No. 8 to go back to 4-under.

Irwin’s 62 remains as the tournament course record at Newport Beach.

The High Priority Golf Tournament, which benefits the organization

supporting those with breast cancer, is Oct. 9 at Oak Creek Golf Club.

Details: (949) 494-5855.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.