HILIGHTS

The disarming smile, shaggy blonde hair and aggressive flair of Greg Norman is gone from golf for the first time in more than 20 years after arthroscopic surgery to repair his damaged left shoulder.

And while the 43-year-old Australian is out for the rest of the PGA Tour season, including the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship, it could have been worse if not for a relatively new procedure.

"There were a number of problems, including bone spurs and damage to the lining of the joint, and this is unique," Dr. Richard Hawkins said by telephone Wednesday after operating on Norman at the Steadman Hawkins Sports Medicine Foundation in Vail, Colo.

But it was one particular problem that forced Norman to face a six-month rehabilitation process before returning to competition: The ball of his shoulder was sliding in the socket.

"Posterior instability in an athlete is unusual, and in a golfer it's some concern because the ball is sliding backward in the socket," Hawkins said. "We used lasers and heat to shrink it down and try to create some stability. This is a new procedure and without it we would have had to cut into the shoulder."

Hawkins said that if not for the posterior instability, Norman's rehabilitation time would have been cut in half.

"It makes you nervous operating on guys of this level," Hawkins said. "It doesn't always work. Hopefully this will."