DESPITE BEING 54 years old and a lowly 216th in the world rankings, Greg Norman still manages to turn heads on the course.

The Australian’s appearance at any tournament still brings a sense of intrigue and fascination to spectators and players alike, and his involvement in this week’s Johnnie Walker Classic is no exception.

Although there are plenty of younger and higher-ranked players entered in the tournament at The Vines in Perth, Western Australia, Norman has commanded most of the attention in the lead-up to the event.

The former world number one was feted like a pop star when he arrived to play a charity event to raise funds for the victims of the Australian bushfires, and even his opponents were impressed.

American Anthony Kim, ranked 11th in the world, said Norman’s fairytale run at last year’s British Open, where he finished third, was proof he could still compete at the highest level.

“He’s proven himself so many times over and over again,” Kim told reporters. “I mean, look at what he did at British Open. I don’t think too many people expected him to do that after being away from tournament golf for so long.

“In this game, you can’t ever underestimate anybody.”

Norman will play alongside Colombia’s Camilo Villegas, ranked ninth, and England’s Lee Westwood (12th) in the opening rounds of the Johnnie Walker Classic, a tournament tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian PGA Tours.

Organisers have scheduled the trio to tee off early in the morning to avoid the worst of the heat, with temperatures expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius.

There are four Irishman in the field this week, including Gareth Maybin, who challenged so strongly last weekend in Malaysia. He is joined by Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy.

While Norman’s performance at the British Open last year provided a lasting reminder of his talent, it also revitalised his enthusiasm for the game.

He is assured of a start at the US Masters in April, and he cannot wait to get back to Augusta.

“I’ve had some great experiences there and I’ve had some bad experiences there, but at the same time I think it all neutralises over my whole career there,” Norman said.

“To be honest with you, my goal there, if I could get through to the weekend, that would be a good goal to make.

“I’m looking forward to going back. I’m looking forward to seeing the golf course, seeing a lot of my friends who are members there.”