St Andrews revisited: Nick Faldo
This week's Open marks the 150th year since the tournament began as play returns to St Andrews, where some of the most unforgettable competitions in the history of the major have taken place. All this week, we revisit some of the greatest moments at the Old Course.
Nick Faldo
Earlier in his career the Englishman had been derided as "Nick Foldo", because of his inability to close the big tournaments. Apparently taking the criticism to heart, Faldo remodelled his swing in the mid-1980s, a decision that quickly saw him claim his first major in 1987, the Open.
Faldo would eventually win the tournament on three occasions, his victory in 1990 at St Andrews bookended by that first win in '87 and, a second in '92 - both of which came at Muirfield. Yet it is the St Andrews win that lives in the memory, Faldo making a record total of 18-under-par 270 for the tournament.
That score saw him finish five strokes ahead of nearest rivals Payne Stewart and Mark McNulty, both of whose 13-under-pars would have been enough to see either player win any one of the previous 23 Opens held at St Andrews.
Faldo found just one bunker over the entire four days, and made only four bogeys across the 72 holes, three of which came at the notorious 17th, better known simply as the "Road Hole". Greg Norman, then No. 1 in the world, was Faldo's supposed main rival, and the pair were joint leaders of the field after the first two rounds, but the Australian was nowhere near Faldo by the close of play, Norman finishing some nine strokes off the pace.
The ever-flamboyant Payne Stewart looked likelier to give Faldo a real challenge, but Stewart's game went as awry as his dress sense as the final round progressed, the American bogeying three of the final six holes to allow Faldo a comparative stroll to his second Open victory.
The win was also his second major triumph that year, Faldo having won the Masters back in April; in fact, the Englishman had only missed out on the US Open in that same year after his putt to enter a play-off had glided tantalisingly along the lip of the 18th cup at Medinah.
Faldo in 1990 was blazing hot, and nowhere was that heat felt more keenly than at St Andrews.
Tags: