Greg Norman has warmed up for his first major in three years with a practice round at Royal Birkdale ahead of this week's British Open.
Less than three weeks after marrying former tennis star Chris Evert in the Bahamas, 53-year-old Norman joined fellow Australian Aaron Baddeley for a hit on a wind-swept course he hailed as the best British Open venue he had seen.
"All in all, expectations are going to be pretty low, but I'm going to enjoy it," Norman said.
"I haven't played much golf."
The last Australian to win the British Open - at Royal St George's in 1993 - Norman has not played a major since the 2005 event at St Andrews, where he tied for 60th.
His 1993 triumph and 1986 British Open title at Turnberry remain his only major victories in an impressive career that includes more than 80 professional titles and a total of 331 weeks as the world No.1 between 1986 and 1998.
He tied for sixth at the US Senior PGA Championship in May.
"The golf course is going to play tough," Norman said of Royal Birkdale, where he tied for 19th in 1983 and was equal ninth when compatriot Ian Baker-Finch won in 1991.
"I think it's probably the best British Open course I've ever seen to tell you the truth.
"I think it's probably very, very fair and extremely balanced and I just think it's the best I've ever seen ... and I've played quite a few of them."
Accompanied by his new wife for his 26th British Open appearance, Norman is among 18 Australians in the 156-man field for the tournament starting on Thursday.
He will then stay on to contest the Senior Open Championship from July 24-27 at Royal Troon, the Scottish course where he tied for second with fellow Australian Wayne Grady in the 1989 British Open after a three-way play-off won by Mark Calcavecchia.
