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Norman had chainsaw accident 'premonition'

Greg Norman felt no pain during his chainsaw accident © Greg Norman

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Greg Norman says he had a "premonition" about the chainsaw accident which nearly deprived him of a left hand.

Norman, a two-time Open champion, claimed he envisaged "something bad was going to happen" before the accident - and reacted to it quickly.

"I had a premonition, to tell you the truth, as I was getting my chainsaw ready that something bad was going to happen," Norman told the BBC. "It was strange. I had no pain at all. Zero pain.

"I actually felt the teeth of the chainsaw ripping my skin and flesh apart. I deal with situations quite well - I stay calm. To me, taking a lead and taking control was an important thing and I got everything in place in 90 seconds."

Despite the accident, Norman has targeted a return to golf next month at a pro-celebrity event in China but claimed things could have ended a lot worse had he been operating the chainsaw at full speed.

"I was very lucky in a lot of ways," Norman said. "If the chainsaw was going at full speed my hand would have been cut off and it missed my ulna nerve and muscles, so I was extremely, extremely lucky in that regard, by fractions of millimetres."

Since undergoing surgery to repair minor nerve damage, the 59-year-old has begun his own rehabilitation programme and said he has been overwhelmed by the public's reaction to the incident.

"The reaction has been incredible," Norman said. "When I sent the picture out on my Instagram account I didn't appreciate the magnitude of the event or the outflow of support which has been absolutely phenomenal.

"That's why I went out the next morning, even though I had a lot of painkillers in me by then, to give the thumbs up and show everyone I'm going to be OK.

"You probably underestimate the value of your hands because you use them so much. Quite honestly, I don't know what I would have done without a left hand. It makes you appreciate how lucky you are in life."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd