Nick Faldo got the better of Greg Norman more often than not throughout his career.
Faldo ended up with six major championships to his name, while Norman won two of golf’s biggest prizes.
The 68-year-old Englishman was at his best when staring his opponent in the eyes down the stretch. Faldo did exactly that at the 1987 Open Championship when he got the better of Paul Azinger by beating him at Muirfield with 18 pars on the final day.
That was the first of his six major wins, while his final victory came at The Masters in 1996.
In addition to his individual success, Faldo firmly established himself as a Ryder Cup legend throughout his career, and he is the most successful Englishman to have ever played the game.
Out of all his wins, the 1996 victory at Augusta National was probably his most memorable.
On a beautiful sunny day in Augusta 29 years ago, Faldo more or less ended Norman’s career with a ruthless performance during the final round of The Masters.
Nick Faldo overturned a six-shot deficit to beat Greg Norman at The Masters
Norman shot out of the blocks at Augusta National in 1996 with an opening round of nine-under par 63 – six shots better than Faldo.
The Australian then followed that up with rounds of 69 and 71 to head into the final round of The Masters with a six-shot lead over Faldo.
However, after two holes of the final round, the Englishman had cut that deficit to just five. Faldo looked strong and in control while Norman seemed nervous.
The two-time major winner’s lead was trimmed to four shots after six holes and then just two after nine as Faldo went out in 34 compared to his rival’s 38.
At that stage, it felt inevitable that the Englishman would get the better of the Australian, and the scores were tied after 11 holes.
Faldo then put his foot on Norman’s throat by hitting the middle of the 12th green, only for his rival to dump his tee shot into the water just short of the surface.
Norman made a double-bogey while Faldo recorded a solid par, and the Englishman led by two. The rest is history.
Faldo ended up shooting a 67 while Norman posted a dismal 78. The 68-year-old racked up his sixth major championship in the process while the Aussie was never the same again.
It was one of the most dominant performances on the final day of The Masters we have ever witnessed.
Nick Faldo’s major record
Faldo always raised his game for the major championships.
In some ways, he was similar to Brooks Koepka in the sense that competing in regular tournaments didn’t give him the same thrill.
He ended up with six wins from 100 majors played, and he easily could have racked up more victories had the chips fallen his way.
Here is how his record in the major championships looks:
| Results | Faldo’s totals |
| Majors played | 100 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Top-3s | 12 |
| Top-5s | 19 |
| Top-10s | 26 |
| Top-25s | 45 |
| Missed cuts | 25 |
That is an example of remarkable consistency.
It’s also worth noting that 12 of those missed cuts came after he stopped playing regularly on the tour in 2004.
Faldo’s career was defined by his success in the major championships in the end. Only 11 golfers in the history of the game have won more than him.
Meanwhile, two major wins for Norman doesn’t seem anywhere near as many as he should have to his name, given his ability.
It just goes to show how important a strong mind is at the very highest level of the game, and there weren’t many better than Faldo in that regard, if any at all.