Standing beneath the massive oak tree at Augusta National’s clubhouse, Nick Faldo opened a bag and displayed white caps and t-shirts, each bearing the phrase “Six back in ’96.”
Three decades later, the English golfer refuses to let people forget about one of the most remarkable comebacks in golf history.
It was 30 years ago that Faldo captured his third Masters championship after beginning the final round trailing Greg Norman by six strokes.
What unfolded became one of major championship golf’s most dramatic turnarounds — Faldo claiming victory by five shots thanks to his outstanding final-round 67 while Norman collapsed with a disappointing 78.
The 68-year-old Faldo came to this year’s Masters tournament fully equipped to celebrate the milestone anniversary.
“Oh big time,” Faldo, donning his Green Jacket, told Reuters when questioned about whether his 1996 Masters victory was on his thoughts this week. “We got T-shirts and hats that say ‘Six back in ’96.’”
Faldo then went inside the clubhouse before emerging with a collection of white caps and shirts featuring what he described as a “fun theme” created for friends, family members and business associates.
Despite his celebratory spirit, Faldo admitted he has not contacted Norman — a two-time British Open champion who never captured a Masters title — to acknowledge the anniversary of his 1996 victory, which marked his sixth and final major championship.
“No, never,” Faldo responded. “You kidding me? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want to be reminded, no.”
Faldo demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship on the 18th green in 1996, hugging Norman in a compassionate moment followed by a restrained celebration that showed respect after his competitor’s dramatic downfall.
As a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee and legendary Ryder Cup performer who cemented his place among golf’s greatest players, Faldo has discovered that no single moment from his career follows him quite like Augusta 1996.
“The crazy thing is, honestly no exaggeration, I will not go through two airports without somebody stopping me and going, ‘oh, you and Greg,’” he explained.
The tale has even reached government officials on the opposite side of the globe. Faldo remembered a Philippines trip approximately two years ago, where he was working on golf course design and shared lunch with the country’s government officials.
“We were having lunch with the government and we thought we’d start talking golf courses and they said tell us about ’96,” Faldo recounted. “I said ‘you’re joking?’ I don’t mind telling the story, it’s a good one for me.”
While golf enthusiasts remember the 1996 Masters with remarkable precision, Faldo noted this accuracy doesn’t always extend to other aspects of his career. He mentioned with amusement that people sometimes ask if he won a British Open at Royal Birkdale — which he didn’t — but they consistently recall ’96 perfectly.
Thirty years later, armed with a bag of commemorative items as evidence, Faldo will never grow weary of being connected to one of the Masters’ most thrilling final rounds.
“I’m very blessed that people remember the facts,” Faldo concluded. “It’s pretty cool.”
