Shark returns to Australian Open for next three years

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SYDNEY (AP) -- Greg Norman will play the Australian Open for the next three years, including this year's event at New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney from Dec. 3-6, tournament officials announced Monday.

Norman, 54, a five-time Australian Open champion, last played the Australian Open in 2005, tying for 26th behind winner John Senden at Royal Sydney.

Australian Open officials hope Norman will be a drawcard for the Sydney tournament, which will be played three weeks after Tiger Woods plays the Australian Masters at Melbourne's Kingston Heath from Nov. 12-15.

Norman, who tied for third in last year's British Open, would like to see top Australian players return for the Sydney tournament.

"You hope that the top Australian players will support it," Norman said. "I've been a huge proponent of that for more than 30 years. It's up to the players. We'll give them the opportunity."

The former No. 1-ranked Norman has been in Australia for about three weeks with his wife, former tennis star Chris Evert. The two toured bushfire areas of Victoria state on Sunday, their first wedding anniversary, and spoke to some of the survivors of the Feb. 7 fires that killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.