The 1996 Masters: Faldo chokes back tears as Norman dies a thousand deaths

My first Masters report from 20 years ago — that Sunday afternoon at Augusta when Greg Norman died a thousand deaths.

Consoling words from Faldo after Norman’s final round implosion.

Robert Lusetich has been covering the Masters for 20 years. Reproduced below is his report for The Australian from 1996 — the year Greg Norman suffered his biggest Augusta heartbreak.

For a man who had just been elevated to golfing immortality after being fitted with his third green jacket at yesterday’s 60th Masters, Nick Faldo seemed hardly overjoyed.

In vivid contrast to the wild, emotional celebratory antics of winners past, Faldo added to the surreal aura surrounding the stunning events by barely cracking a smile.

Only Jack Nicklaus (six) and Arnold Palmer (four) have won at the folklorish Augusta National course more often than the introspective Englishman, but it was the extraordinary fate of a man who has never won here in 16 tries that was heavy on Faldo’s mind.

Agony for Norman at the 15th. Picture: Allsport

After watching Greg Norman on the verge of conquering the tournament he treasures most in life unravel in a tragic and unprecedented manner even for Norman — Faldo, like almost everyone at the course, was left with swirling, mixed emotions.

Norman, who had taken a seemingly insurmountable sixstroke lead into the final day, inexplicably fell to pieces to finish an astonishing five strokes behind Faldo, with American Phil Mickelson a stroke back at six-under and surging New Zealander Frank Nobilo fourth at five-under.

Although Faldo has never been especially close to the Australian, after the final putt on the 18th he went to Norman, embraced him and whispered something neither player would reveal afterward.

“It was a very emotional thing. There were tears in our eyes ... that was extremely special,” Norman said.

For a winner, Faldo was, to say the least, subdued, even saying of his sixth major (three British Opens to go with the green jackets): “I’m just delighted to have scratched another one on the board.

“I wouldn’t know where to begin ... this one’s an amazing one, isn’t it?” he said, appearing almost more sombre than Norman.

“I hope I’m remembered for shooting a 67 on the last day and storming through ... but it’s going to be remembered for what happened to Greg.

“What he’s been through is horrible. As I said, it’s hard to be plastered and repair that. If it happened to me like that ...

“I honestly, genuinely feel sorry for him. He’s had a real rough ride today.”

Consoling words from Faldo after Norman’s final round implosion.

Norman, who has frosted the sour cake of monumental failures at majors with this one, completed the greatest capitulation in golf history.

No player has ever taken a six-shot lead into the final round of a major and lost.

Norman has now led seven times after three rounds at various majors and has only the 1986 British Open to show for it. His other major victory was the ‘93 British Open, when he won coming from behind.

A shadow of the player who rode high above the field for three days, he imploded in the middle of yesterday’s round, played in perfect conditions, and finished with a six-over-par 78.

The back nine, which had been his servant all week, suddenly became his master. To the same nine holes which he took 30 from in the first round, he gave 40 to yesterday.

A player who had been hitting greens at nearly 90 per cent over the first three rounds failed to find 10 of 18 (44 per cent), including missing seven of the first 10 when it mattered most.

“Well, I played like s ...,” Norman, who was curiously devoid of visible emotion, said at the 52nd press conference he has attended in his career upon finishing runner-up. “That’s probably the best way of putting it.

“With all my mistakes today, I didn’t do the right things. Nick did good, and I really just got a good old ass-whipping.

“Of course, I’m very disappointed. Even if I had played halfway decent, it would have been a good tussle with Nick.”

Faldo’s coach, David Leadbetter, admitted he had optimistically thought his pupil had at best a one-in-five chance of winning yesterday.

“I thought it was possible for Nick to win, but never like this,” he said.

“I feel really sad for Greg. It’s a bittersweet success.” One of Norman’s best friends, Zimbabwean Nick Price, who had left Norman a good luck note on his locker yesterday morning, was so disturbed by the Australian’s falling to pieces that he couldn’t watch the last few holes.

“I’m sick to my stomach,” he said.

Faldo celebrates after victory. Picture: AFP

Neither could former Australian Open winner Jack Newton, who was runner-up here to Seve Ballesteros in 1980, compute what he was watching.

“Norman seemed to lose his game-plan,” he said. “I think it will be a devastating blow for him because you think he’ll never get a better chance.”

As players were coming off the course they were shocked by the news greeting them.

“I’m stunned. I can’t believe it. This is the best player in the world,” said Scott McCarron.

True enough, Norman is the 1995 Player of the Year, despite entering only 16 Tour events.

He heads the money list (ironically, yesterday’s second-prize of $US270,000 ($342,000) made him the first player ever to break the $US10 million mark in earnings) and has the lowest scoring average.

Since the creation of the Sony World Rankings in 1986, Norman has topped them for 216 weeks; no other player has yet cracked 100. Only Nicklaus has a better top 10 finish percentage (56) than Norman’s 49 per cent.

Yet there will always be the question of, well, “choking” seems to be the appropriate word, at majors.

“Call it what you want to call it,” he said. “I put all the blame on myself. Of all them I let get away, this one I did let get away.

I want to win the Masters. I didn’t win the Masters.

“I’m disappointed. I’m sad about it. I’m going to regret it.

It’s going to be a day I know I let one slip away. And I’ve let others slip away, but it’s not the end of my life.

“If I had won today and all those other championships, my life might be totally different, but I didn’t win. I’m upset inside, but I’m not going to run around and be like Dennis Rodman (American basketball player) and headbutt an official. I’m not that way.” Faldo refused to be drawn into critiquing the player he had accompanied over the last 36 holes of the tournament.

“We’re all in charge of our own house. That’s the thing, isn’t it?” Faldo said.

“It’s excessive pressure. It’s the highest degree of accuracy of any golf course. It’s the most strategic-thinking golf course in the world ... as the week goes on and the screws get tighter, it’s a very tough golf course.”

Norman, an avowed spiritualist who has adopted a Zen Buddhism philosophy, will continue to play golf with the hope that it will all one day even out for him.

“I know I screwed up today, but it’s not the end of the world for me. It’s really not. God, I’d love to be putting this green jacket on here, but it’s not the end of the world for me,” he said. “It’s going to continue. I’ve got a lot more tournaments to play here. Maybe these hiccups that I have inflicted on myself are meant for another reason.

“There must be a reason. I think there’s something waiting for me down the line that’s going to be good for me.”

• Twenty years on, Robert Lusetich reckons this year’s Masters is shaping up to be one of the most wide-open ever. Read his preview HERE.