Nick Faldo stared at his personal trophy case but could not believe it.
He really had won The Masters.
GettyNick Faldo won The Masters Green Jacket and The Open’s Claret Jug in 1990[/caption]
And the same kid from England who started playing golf by using borrowed clubs from a neighbor — after being inspired by watching Jack Nicklaus on TV — conquered Augusta National Golf Club three magical times during an eight-year span.
“A couple of years back, I was looking at my trophy cabinet and it was a weird feeling,” the 67-year-old Faldo, an analyst for Sky Sports’ coverage of The Masters, exclusively told talkSPORT.
“Because it was like, well, that was him and this is me.”
After the first round of the 2025 Masters, Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg — Faldo’s pick to win — were all dreaming of putting on the famous Green Jacket on Sunday.
Faldo knows better than almost anyone in the world what it’s like to win The Masters — and how unbelievable it can feel almost 30 years later.
“I’ve got that time separation now,” said Faldo, who won The Masters in 1989, ’90 and ’96.
“It’s really weird to think that I was good enough to waltz down to a golf course on a Sunday afternoon and try and go out and win a major, try and go out and win The Open.
“And I could do it, and that was a part of the world you were in. I mean, I think that’s pretty special because that is a seriously high level, isn’t it?
“To think you had the nerve and the drive and all the skills needed to go out there and think, ‘If I do this right, I can win a jacket or a claret jacket,’ or the others I was trying. So yeah, it’s obviously a very nice feeling.”
The six-time major winner also acknowledged it’s an increasingly distant feeling as years become decades.
youtube@themastersFaldo faced Scott Hoch in a sudden-death playoff in 1989[/caption]
youtube@themastersHe had to overcome bogeys on 11 to produce a career-changing birdie[/caption]
youtube@themastersFaldo lined up a 25-foot putt that wasn’t expected to fall into the cup[/caption]
youtube@themastersThe fast-rolling ball fell perfectly and Faldo lifted his arms in Augusta triumph[/caption]
Faldo loves Masters week because it allows him to spend time with family, reunite with old friends and reminisce.
When the Welwyn Garden City native buried a 25-foot birdie putt during the second hole of a sudden-death playoff against Scott Hoch in 1989, Faldo lifted his arms in joyous triumph and disbelief.
Only Nicklaus (six), Tiger Woods (five) and Arnold Palmer (four) have won The Masters more times than Faldo.
“There’s great places for me around that golf course,” he said.
“To feel that I’m part of it — you walk and put that jacket on and think, ‘Wow, I’m there with … (Sam) Snead won three, Gary (Player) won three, Phil’s (Mickelson) won three.’
“I feel very honored to be part of that, very proud to be part of all that. And I promise you, it’s a little weird because it definitely feels separated. … So, wow, it’s like a different era now. That was this kid playing golf and this is me now.”
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Before Rory McIlroy shot an opening-round 72 and finished poorly, starting seven strokes behind Rose, Faldo expertly set up what one of the best golfers on the planet would endure as McIlroy attempted to once again master Augusta.
“Physically, he’s very good,” Faldo said.
“He’s technically excellent. You know, it’s mentally. He’s got to deal with the history, the past, which is very difficult.”
McIlroy also faces pressure that builds year after year, and is compounded by the endless stream of 24-7 social media.
“Can you get rid of everything?” Faldo said. “That’s the hardest thing in this game. Can you get rid of it?”
The man who turned six lessons with borrowed clubs into three Masters and three Open titles did just that in 1989.
youtube@themastersA young Jim Nantz watched Faldo find his way to the Butler Cabin[/caption]
Faldo became the first Masters champion from England, despite trailing by three shots with three holes to play.
A 25-foot birdie stunned a young Jim Nantz and changed Faldo’s life.
“We’re waiting for the return of our new Masters champion, Nick Faldo, who’s making his way back toward the clubhouse to the adjacent Butler Cabin,” Nantz said on CBS.
“Yet another dramatic finish to the Masters — a sudden-death playoff.”
Faldo looks back at his Augusta peak with wonder and awe.
He really did win The Masters — and his trophies are harder than ever to believe.
“Boy, I wish I could do that again,” Faldo said.
“That’s only bit that hurts. I think, ‘I wish I could go out and play.’
“I wouldn’t be able to hit it now. If I had that pressure on me, knowing what it all meant, I wouldn’t have a clue. Wouldn’t be close.”
