Nick Faldo left US golf fans with a nasty feeling of déjà vu when he won a thrilling play-off to claim back-to-back Masters titles on April 8 1990. For the second consecutive year, the Englishman, then 32, clawed back the home favourite's seemingly unassailable lead to triumph in sudden-death at the Augusta National. In 1989 Scott Hoch had surrendered a five-shot lead before succumbing to the ice-veined Faldo.
This time it was the veteran Ray Floyd, bidding to become the oldest man to win the famous green jacket, who was vanquished. Faldo became the first golfer since the legendary Jack Nicklaus in 1966 to win back-to-back Masters. In a neat twist of fate, the 50-year-old had been the champion's playing partner for his final round. The sight of Nicklaus winning the 1971 Masters had inspired Faldo to take up golf as a teenager and he later confided: "At the start of the round I thought 'I'm going to play with Jack and I'm going to win it today'."
The final day had started with Faldo three shots behind Floyd, who had led since the 15th hole of the third round on Saturday. And the Englishman's task began to look impossible when he three-putted for a double-bogey at the first to fall five behind. Lesser players might have crumbled but, displaying resilience and composure, he hauled himself back into contention with birdies at the second, seventh and ninth to draw to within two shots of Floyd at the top of the leaderboard.
However, the American delivered a seemingly knock-out blow when he capitalised on Faldo's bogey at the 10th by birdying the 12th to go four ahead. "I didn't think I could lose," he admitted, not realising that Faldo was ready for one final charge. The 1987 British Open champion narrowly missed an eagle at the 13th and added further birdies at the 15th and 16th. This was all happening in front and in sight of Floyd, partnering John Huston in the final pairing, and the pressure finally told on the veteran at the 17th, when he hit his nine-iron approach 50ft from the pin.
"If only I could take that one back," he later lamented "then I wouldn't have been in the play-off." A bogey followed after three putts and suddenly, incredibly, Faldo was level. Now it was Floyd who was fighting to stay alive, requiring a par at the last to remain in the tournament. The veteran bunkered his drive on the 18th before hitting his approach into the greenside bunker and it was to his immense credit that he drew on all the experience and virtuosity of three decades as a pro to chip to 5ft before putting for par.
The crowd erupted and the tournament went into extra time. While Faldo's steady, metronomic game appeared tailor made for the nerve-jangling pressure of a sudden-death play-off, it was Floyd who actually had the first chance to win. But his five-metre putt did not even touch the sides of the 10th hole and the match continued on to the 11th in the gathering dusk. It was there that Floyd's chances were cruelly drowned when he yanked a seven iron into the water with his second shot.
In stark contrast, Faldo avoided the pond to reach the green. Only the most skilled of golfers could have made the shot appear so routine. The Englishman putted for par and the green jacket was his once again. When Floyd spoke at the closing ceremony, his usually firm voice quivered and his eyes were moist. "I am devastated," he said, "this is the hardest thing I have encountered, you can't imagine how I feel."
Faldo was characteristically understated, saying: "Doing the double, this is a bit of history, isn't it? A lovely feeling." Faldo won the title again in 1996 and is one of only four men, alongside Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to have won the Masters three times. His final 67, which overhauled Greg Norman's six-shot advantage, is remembered as the defining round of an illustrious career.
Faldo's career total of six Majors marks him out as the finest player of his generation and his affection for the Masters is such that he named his third child Georgia after the state which hosts the tournament. saustin@thenational.ae
