Stories · Even the Greats
Greg Norman's 1996 Masters: Be Kind After a Tough Round
By The First 9 Team ·
Greg Norman led the 1996 Masters by six shots going into Sunday. He shot 78, Nick Faldo shot 67, and Faldo won by five. Then, on the 18th green, Faldo gave him a hug. The beginner lesson: a hard round is easier to carry when you're kind to yourself, and to whoever you're playing with.
Even the greats: the longest Sunday at Augusta
Norman opened that week with a 63 and took a six-shot lead into Sunday. On Sunday he played alongside Faldo, who started six shots back.
It didn't go Norman's way. Shots started slipping away around the 9th hole, and by the 12th his ball had found the water in front of the green. Faldo, steady all day, shot the best round of the day and finished with a birdie on 18.
What people remember most is what happened next. Faldo didn't settle for a handshake. "I just want to give you a good hug," he told Norman, and the two walked off the green together. Both men had tears in their eyes.
Afterward, Norman was honest and gentle with himself. "It was all my mistakes today," he said. "But it's not the end of the world." He added that he'd wake up still breathing, and said Faldo had "gone way up in my estimation."
One of the greatest players of his generation had his hardest day in front of the whole world, and he was still able to say: this is golf, and tomorrow comes.
Your first-nine lesson: the round ends on the last green
Your first nine holes might include a ball in the water, a few extra shots on one hole, or a stretch where nothing works. That's not a sign you're bad at golf. It happens to everyone, Hall of Famers included.
- Say it plainly, then let it go. "That hole got away from me" is a complete sentence. You don't owe anyone an explanation.
- Be the Faldo in your group. When a playing partner has a rough hole, a kind word or a "great walk today" is worth more than any tip.
- Pick the score you'd be happy with. A bogey or double bogey on a hard hole is a perfectly good result.
- Book the next round before you decide anything big. One day is information, not a verdict.
If a round ever leaves you wondering whether golf is for you, read our should I quit golf? guide first. If playing with stronger golfers is the worry, our guide to playing with better golfers has a calm plan.
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Sources
- AP, "AP Was There: Faldo wins a Masters known for Shark tanking"
- The Independent, "Faldo shows humanity in victory," April 1996
- The Irish Times, "Norman collapse lets Faldo in"
- Major Championships results, 1996 Masters
- The Augusta Chronicle, "Norman, Venturi victims of memorable Masters meltdowns"
- Masters.com 1996 results
Facts are taken from the official and news sources above. Players are named with respect; no player photos or video are used on this page.