Golf: Norman feels on top of the world: Faldo kicks his heels after missing cut as Australian replaces him at top of rankings

GREG NORMAN, with impeccable timing, won the Johnnie Walker Classic at the Blue Canyon Golf and Country Club here yesterday and overtook Nick Faldo, world No 1 for 81 weeks, at the top of the Sony rankings. When the Australian walked to the first tee in the final round he saw Faldo on the practice ground. 'He didn't like not making the cut,' Norman said.

When Norman looked at the leaderboard during the final round he thought it reminiscent, in terms of quality, of the players he kept at bay in the fourth round of the Open Championship at Royal St George's last July. Conspicuous by his absence, of course, was Faldo, who arrived here 'rusty' and missed the halfway cut by a stroke. Norman was second to Ernie Els in the Dubai Desert Classic last week, picked up a lung infection and was confined to bed in Thailand, at least until the first round.

He shot 75, 70, 64 and yesterday a 68 was good enough to win him the first prize of pounds 100,000 by one stroke from Fred Couples, by two from Bernhard Langer and by four from Ian Woosnam. Norman won another pounds 3,000 for establishing a course record, and a pounds 1,300 watch for the lowest round.

With the exception of Couples, they will all be reunited tomorrow in Brunei. The 18-year- old nephew of the Sultan is keen on golf, so every year he invites the world's best to play on his private course. It is a case of moving the mountain to Mohammed. It is also a case of receiving an offer that is hard to refuse, even if you are a multi- millionaire.

It is a strictly private affair and no women are allowed. Norman, in his private jet, dropped his wife Laura at Singapore - she caught a commercial flight to Florida - before flying to Brunei. 'I've no idea what to expect,' he said. 'I'm looking forward to seeing the car collection.' Norman is one of Ferrari's best clients but compared to the father of the Sultan he's in the Dinky league. Apparently the old man has 1,200 cars, including some one- off Ferraris which he designed himself. The mileage on the clocks has not reached double figures.

Faldo and Nick Price, who withdrew from the tournament here because of tendinitis, are also in Brunei. Nobody will say what the incentive is but there are stories. Like Bernard Gallacher receiving an audience with the Sultan and being presented with a diamond-encrusted Rolex; when Faldo was summoned he was presented with a portrait of the pudgy nephew playing out of a bunker.

Norman, who incidentally does not care less about the world rankings, began the day one stroke behind Couples and Woosnam and by the turn the status quo had been maintained. Norman went out in 34 as did Woosnam and Couples.

The hit-or-miss 14th hole, 194 yards downhill on to an island green, was bound to play an influential role and it hurt both Langer and Woosnam. The pin was in a wicked position, deep and left on the green and Langer, obviously going for broke, hit his ball into the water. The dropping zone is just in front of the putting surface. Playing three, he chipped on, two putts and the result was a double-bogey five. Although his immediate response was two birdies, he three-putted the 17th and that was the end of his challenge.

Norman, playing directly in front of Couples and Woosnam, made his move with birdies at the 16th and 18th holes and the score he posted of 277, 11 under par, could not be matched. 'I said to myself on the 18th tee that if you can get a birdie on the last hole every day of your life you're going to have a good score,' Norman said. 'I knew that 11 under was the magic score. I was in the driving seat. Beware of the sick golfer.'

Couples, who led on his own four times during the final round, had 12 pars in a row from the seventh and his wedge play was: 'Terrible. I didn't make any putts and neither did Woosie. I knew that the way Greg was playing he'd be a lot better down the stretch than I was. It doesn't make it any easier that you've lost to the best player in the world. He doesn't care who finishes second.' Woosnam's downfall came at the last where, after watching Couples fall short, he hit a wedge through the back of the green and had a double-bogey six.

Ronan Rafferty, who was paired with Langer, had an 81, nine over par, after the head of his putter began to part company with the shaft. The intense heat was blamed for the dislocation and Rafferty hurried to the clubhouse after nine holes. With a quick practice swing, he borrowed the putter of Miguel Jimenez. Not that it did him much good. He dropped five strokes in the last six holes.

However, even Rafferty was better off than Ali Sher, one of only five Asian players to make the halfway cut. Sher, 29, from New Delhi, was first off with a tee time of 7.30am and was disqualified for being seven minutes late, two minutes over the permitted limit. Sher, the odd man out in the field in that he was not paired with anybody, missed the 6.30am coach and it took him 20 minutes to get a taxi. A former caddie, he does not speak a word of English. He was made to understand that he could not place a ball on the first tee. Ali Sher is not one of the select few going to Brunei.

Laura Davies equalled the course record in the Palm Beach Classic at Lake Worth, Florida, on Saturday. Davies hit a 65 to share the second- round lead with Lisa Walters of Canada.

Scores, Order of Merit,

Sporting Digest, page 31