Australian golfer; Born February 14, 1914; Died May 20, 2007. FORMER Australian Open champion Norman Von Nida, who won more than 80 titles worldwide and was a trailblazer for Australian golf, has died aged 93.
"The Von," as he was known to his friends, family and those in the golfing fraternity, had been suffering from ill health in the past two months and died at a Gold Coast nursing home, his family said.
Von Nida won three Australian Opens and four Australian PGA Championships. He won Australian Open titles in 1950, 1952 and 1953 and finished second three times.
He was one of the first star Australian golfers to play in overseas tournaments, winning the Philippine Islands Open in 1938 and later competing in Europe for the first time in 1946, where he finished second on the Order of Merit.
He returned to Australia in 1947 and won seven tournaments and topped the Order of Merit.
Von Nida was born in Sydney and grew up in Brisbane, turning professional in 1933 after attracting attention to himself by winning the Queensland Amateur competition at the age of 18.
Von Nida was renowned for his short temper. At an Australian tournament in 1948, he became involved in an argument with American Ryder Cup player Henry Ransom that resulted in police having to pull them apart.
He was also known to hurl his putter into the bushes after missing putts and breaking or losing them mid-round after an outburst of anger.
Von Nida was presented with a life membership of the Australasian PGA Tour in December 2005, and Australia's second-tier circuit for developing players is named in his honour.
"It is a recognition that has been a long time coming," former American PGA champion Wayne Grady, who was chairman of the Australasian tour, said at the time.
"Every professional golfer in Australia has benefited from the contribution Norman has made to the professional game here."
He was still playing golf in his early 90s, despite being legally blind, and compensated for this by using iridescent yellow paint on top of his clubs and playing with yellow golf balls.
"All I've got to do is swing the club and allow someone to tell me where it went," Von Nida said.
"I can tell by the feel of the club contacting the ball, relatively in what direction and how far it's gone."
In 1998, Nick Faldo sought Von Nida's putting advice on the practice green at Royal Adelaide during the Australian Open.
Faldo went from a first-round score of 77 to a second-round 69 after taking Von Nida's advice.
"He said the grip pressure in my left hand was too tight, and gave me a little putting lesson as well," Faldo said at the time.
"I practised last night and it was like a new day today."
Ian Triggs, a long-time Australian coach who works with LPGA star Karrie Webb, said that Von Nida was a great storyteller.
"He was a grand old guy, so kind to so many people," said Triggs. "Everyone loved his stories and how he told them."
Von Nida is survived by his daughter, Keiri, her husband and four grand- children.
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