Greg Norman Expected To Fully Recover From Chainsaw Accident

The news for Greg Norman after his chainsaw accident was bad. The prognosis, however, is improving.

The Guardian is reporting that Norman had “some minor nerve repair” to his left hand and wrist. Specialists are predicting that Norman will not suffer any side effects from this, stating there was no long-term damage to any arteries or tendons.

The 59-year-old Norman was trimming limbs from trees with a chainsaw at his home in South Florida, when one of the branches he cut started to fall. Norman went to catch the limb, but instead caught the chainsaw just above where one would wear a wrist watch, as he states. Luckily, the chainsaw blade was slowing down due to the falling branch, so it did not cut completely through his wrist. Also, the blade stopped just a fraction of an inch from a major artery, the doctors told Norman.

“Thank God the blade wasn’t running full speed, or it would have taken my hand off,” Norman said. “I handled everything as calmly as I could. There is no major damage. There is nerve damage (which has since been repaired), but no muscular damage. They fixed me up and here I am.”

If anyone were to question Norman’s ability to pass the work off or hire someone to do it for him, he answered that with an Instagram pic and caption. The picture is of him in front of the trees in question with a chainsaw and the caption, “Time to trim the sea grapes today. Never ask someone to do something that you can do yourself. Love to work!”

Norman said he would do it again. “When I’m on a ranch, I love to run the bulldozer, the grader, whatever. I like doing stuff. I never ask anybody to do that for me if I can do it myself,” he said.

Norman did add a caveat about his incident. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Norman wrote on Instagram, “Working with a chainsaw ALWAYS be respectful of the unexpected. I was one lucky man today. Damaged, but not down & out. Still have left hand,” he wrote.

After the nerve surgery was completed, Norman was able to go home to rest and recuperate. A bit later, he took a picture of himself outside near where the accident had occurred, now shirtless sporting a large, pink foam protector for his left hand and wrist and a thumbs up with the right hand. “Here I am at the scene of the crime (with) my new fashion statement!” Norman wrote.

Norman, known as the Great White Shark, was an Open champion in 1986 and 1993, also finished runner-up in two US Opens, two US PGAs and three Masters, and was world Number One for a total of 331 weeks.

[Images courtesy of Instagram/Greg Norman]