NICK FALDO
Name: Nicholas Alexander Faldo
Born: 18 July 1957
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Faldo MBE (born 18 July 1957) is an English
professional golfer on the European Tour, and one of Europe's most successful
players of all time. Over his career, he has won three Open Championship titles
and three US Masters titles. He was ranked the World No. 1 on the Official World
Golf Rankings for a total of 98 weeks.
Faldo was born in Welwyn Garden City, England. He borrowed some clubs from his
neighbours after watching Jack Nicklaus play the 1971 Masters on television.
While working as a carpet fitter, Faldo won the English Amateur Championship and
the British Youths Championship in 1975. He turned professional in 1976 and
quickly achieved success, finishing 8th on the European Tour Order of Merit in
1977 and 3rd in 1978 and winning a European Tour event in each of those seasons.
In the former year he became the youngest player to appear in the Ryder Cup at
the age of 21. Faldo was one of the leading players on the European Tour in the
early 1980s, and he topped the Order of Merit in 1983.
However, feeling that he needed to refine his game in order to become a regular
contender in major championships (British tabloids even dubbed him "Nick Foldo"
after collapses at the 1983 Open Championship and the 1984 Masters), he spent
the mid-1980s remodelling his swing under the tutelage of David Leadbetter. His
performances dropped off for a couple of years as the changes occurred, but by
1987 he was playing at an even higher level, and he claimed his first major
title at that year's Open Championship. He managed to beat American Paul Azinger
by one shot even without getting a birdie in the final round (he parred all 18
holes), after Azinger bogeyed the final two holes of the tournament.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Faldo was considered the best golfer in the
world. He was noted for being remarkably composed under pressure, intimidating
to his opponents, and won more of the four professional major tournaments (Faldo
won six) than any other player in the world from 1987 through 1996 (Nick Price
was second with three major victories during this period; Seve Ballesteros, a
contemporary of Faldo's from Spain, won five majors from 1979-1988). He won the
Open Championship again in 1990 in St Andrews, Scotland by six shots, and
claimed it for a third time in 1992, outplaying American John Cook. He also won
two more majors when he won the Masters Tournament in 1989 and 1990. At the 1989
Masters, he shot a 65, the low round of the tournament, to get into a playoff
with Scott Hoch. He won the playoff after holing a somewhat lengthy putt on the
2nd playoff hole (Hoch missed a 2 foot putt to win on the first playoff hole).
At the 1990 Masters, he came from behind again to get into a playoff with
Raymond Floyd, once again winning on the second playoff hole after Floyd pulled
his approach shot into a pond left of the green. Faldo spent a total of 98 weeks
altogether at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, and claimed the
European Tour Order of Merit a second time in 1992. During that time, Faldo said
of his success: "The run doesn't have to end. If someone is going to beat me
then I'm going to make sure they've worked for their victory. Let them come and
get it from me." That year, he had worldwide earnings of £1,558,978, breaking
the existing record.
Throughout this time, he remained a European Tour player while also visiting
America regularly and playing events around the world, but in 1995 he decided to
concentrate on playing on the PGA Tour, as his priority was to win further major
championships (and three out of the four majors are played in the United States).
At first this strategy didn't seem to work, as he had a moderate 1995 season and
start to the 1996 season, but he won a famous victory at the 1996 Masters to
collect his sixth and final major championship. He went into the final round
trailing Greg Norman by six shots, but was the beneficiary of an infamous Sunday
collapse by Norman; Faldo shot a 67 to win by five over Norman, who struggled
mightily en route to a 78. Though this is commonly remembered as the tournament
Norman threw away, Faldo's 67 was a memorable display of concentration and
consistency which put pressure on Norman. After Faldo finished, he hugged Norman
and whispered something in his ear, which years later Norman confirmed to have
included the line "Don't let the bastards get you down," a reference to the
media, which Faldo assumed would aggressively hound Norman for the loss (but
which didn't really happen). Norman who up until this time had little time for
Faldo said in interview after defeat that "He (Faldo) had gone way, way up in my
estimations" since then they have become firm friends and fishing partners a
passion they both share.
Faldo was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year in 1990 and the European Tour
Player of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 1992, and has won 29 European Tour titles.
As Faldo entered his forties, his form gradually declined and he devoted more
time to off-course activities. The last season that he played regularly on the
PGA Tour was 2001. Afterwards, he refocused on the European Tour, but has
consistently played less than a full schedule. His most recent top-10 finish in
a major to date (and quite probably the final of his career) was a tie for
eighth place at the 2003 Open Championship. As of July 2005, his career European
Tour earnings are just under €8 million, and his PGA Tour earnings are over $5
million.
Faldo is also one of the most successful Ryder Cup players ever, having
represented the European Team a record 11 times and played a key role in making
Europe competitive in the event. Having won 23 of his matches, lost 19, and
halved 4, he also holds the record for having played the most Ryder Cup matches.
He also holds the record for the most points won by any player 25 and is one of
only six players to have scored a hole-in-one in the Ryder Cup.
While Faldo's professional individual tournament wins (39) pale in quantity to
that of contemporaries Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer, the
prestige and stature of his successes are impressive, and he has more major
victories than any of these players. His CV boasts (often multiple) successes in
high-profile tour events such as the French Open, Irish Open, Spanish Open,
Swiss Open (now European Masters), the European PGA, the British Masters, the
European Open, the Johnnie Walker Classic, and the Volvo Masters, as well as his
Nissan Open, Doral Open and Heritage successes in the US. These wins are not
only supplemented by his six majors, but also by his wins in invitational events
such as the Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge, the World Championship of Golf,
and the World Matchplay, as well as his team successes in the Dunhill Cup, the
World Cup of Golf, and of course the Ryder Cup.
In the first half of 2007, Faldo did not appear in any regular tour events. He
did play in the 2007 British Open, missing the cut. In his first Champions Tour
event, he finished tied for 14th in the Senior British Open.
Name: Nicholas Alexander Faldo
Born: 18 July 1957
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Faldo MBE (born 18 July 1957) is an English
professional golfer on the European Tour, and one of Europe's most successful
players of all time. Over his career, he has won three Open Championship titles
and three US Masters titles. He was ranked the World No. 1 on the Official World
Golf Rankings for a total of 98 weeks.
Faldo was born in Welwyn Garden City, England. He borrowed some clubs from his
neighbours after watching Jack Nicklaus play the 1971 Masters on television.
While working as a carpet fitter, Faldo won the English Amateur Championship and
the British Youths Championship in 1975. He turned professional in 1976 and
quickly achieved success, finishing 8th on the European Tour Order of Merit in
1977 and 3rd in 1978 and winning a European Tour event in each of those seasons.
In the former year he became the youngest player to appear in the Ryder Cup at
the age of 21. Faldo was one of the leading players on the European Tour in the
early 1980s, and he topped the Order of Merit in 1983.
However, feeling that he needed to refine his game in order to become a regular
contender in major championships (British tabloids even dubbed him "Nick Foldo"
after collapses at the 1983 Open Championship and the 1984 Masters), he spent
the mid-1980s remodelling his swing under the tutelage of David Leadbetter. His
performances dropped off for a couple of years as the changes occurred, but by
1987 he was playing at an even higher level, and he claimed his first major
title at that year's Open Championship. He managed to beat American Paul Azinger
by one shot even without getting a birdie in the final round (he parred all 18
holes), after Azinger bogeyed the final two holes of the tournament.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Faldo was considered the best golfer in the
world. He was noted for being remarkably composed under pressure, intimidating
to his opponents, and won more of the four professional major tournaments (Faldo
won six) than any other player in the world from 1987 through 1996 (Nick Price
was second with three major victories during this period; Seve Ballesteros, a
contemporary of Faldo's from Spain, won five majors from 1979-1988). He won the
Open Championship again in 1990 in St Andrews, Scotland by six shots, and
claimed it for a third time in 1992, outplaying American John Cook. He also won
two more majors when he won the Masters Tournament in 1989 and 1990. At the 1989
Masters, he shot a 65, the low round of the tournament, to get into a playoff
with Scott Hoch. He won the playoff after holing a somewhat lengthy putt on the
2nd playoff hole (Hoch missed a 2 foot putt to win on the first playoff hole).
At the 1990 Masters, he came from behind again to get into a playoff with
Raymond Floyd, once again winning on the second playoff hole after Floyd pulled
his approach shot into a pond left of the green. Faldo spent a total of 98 weeks
altogether at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, and claimed the
European Tour Order of Merit a second time in 1992. During that time, Faldo said
of his success: "The run doesn't have to end. If someone is going to beat me
then I'm going to make sure they've worked for their victory. Let them come and
get it from me." That year, he had worldwide earnings of £1,558,978, breaking
the existing record.
Throughout this time, he remained a European Tour player while also visiting
America regularly and playing events around the world, but in 1995 he decided to
concentrate on playing on the PGA Tour, as his priority was to win further major
championships (and three out of the four majors are played in the United States).
At first this strategy didn't seem to work, as he had a moderate 1995 season and
start to the 1996 season, but he won a famous victory at the 1996 Masters to
collect his sixth and final major championship. He went into the final round
trailing Greg Norman by six shots, but was the beneficiary of an infamous Sunday
collapse by Norman; Faldo shot a 67 to win by five over Norman, who struggled
mightily en route to a 78. Though this is commonly remembered as the tournament
Norman threw away, Faldo's 67 was a memorable display of concentration and
consistency which put pressure on Norman. After Faldo finished, he hugged Norman
and whispered something in his ear, which years later Norman confirmed to have
included the line "Don't let the bastards get you down," a reference to the
media, which Faldo assumed would aggressively hound Norman for the loss (but
which didn't really happen). Norman who up until this time had little time for
Faldo said in interview after defeat that "He (Faldo) had gone way, way up in my
estimations" since then they have become firm friends and fishing partners a
passion they both share.
Faldo was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year in 1990 and the European Tour
Player of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 1992, and has won 29 European Tour titles.
As Faldo entered his forties, his form gradually declined and he devoted more
time to off-course activities. The last season that he played regularly on the
PGA Tour was 2001. Afterwards, he refocused on the European Tour, but has
consistently played less than a full schedule. His most recent top-10 finish in
a major to date (and quite probably the final of his career) was a tie for
eighth place at the 2003 Open Championship. As of July 2005, his career European
Tour earnings are just under €8 million, and his PGA Tour earnings are over $5
million.
Faldo is also one of the most successful Ryder Cup players ever, having
represented the European Team a record 11 times and played a key role in making
Europe competitive in the event. Having won 23 of his matches, lost 19, and
halved 4, he also holds the record for having played the most Ryder Cup matches.
He also holds the record for the most points won by any player 25 and is one of
only six players to have scored a hole-in-one in the Ryder Cup.
While Faldo's professional individual tournament wins (39) pale in quantity to
that of contemporaries Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer, the
prestige and stature of his successes are impressive, and he has more major
victories than any of these players. His CV boasts (often multiple) successes in
high-profile tour events such as the French Open, Irish Open, Spanish Open,
Swiss Open (now European Masters), the European PGA, the British Masters, the
European Open, the Johnnie Walker Classic, and the Volvo Masters, as well as his
Nissan Open, Doral Open and Heritage successes in the US. These wins are not
only supplemented by his six majors, but also by his wins in invitational events
such as the Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge, the World Championship of Golf,
and the World Matchplay, as well as his team successes in the Dunhill Cup, the
World Cup of Golf, and of course the Ryder Cup.
In the first half of 2007, Faldo did not appear in any regular tour events. He
did play in the 2007 British Open, missing the cut. In his first Champions Tour
event, he finished tied for 14th in the Senior British Open.