Faldo reveals 'quit' threat

Why the lack of daylight in 1989 nearly halted Nick Faldo's march to history

Nick Faldo’s first win at the Masters, in 1989, is remembered for a few things, but it could have been a very different matter in the fading light at Augusta.

Had he not won on the 11th hole and the tournament forced to go to another sudden death play-off hole, then Faldo would have refused to play on.

"It was so dark that I didn't see the ball (on the 11th green) until I was 60 yards short of the green. I remember telling myself, 'I'm going to have to be brave here' and say, 'I'm not playing on.' Imagine telling Augusta that you're not playing on. That was going to be a big decision."

So how dark was it really? Well when asking his caddie about the putt the answer is revealed.

"I said to Prodger, 'What do you think?' He said, 'All a bit of a blur to me, Guv,'"

But Faldo managed to hole the murky putt for a magnificent 3 to give him the first of his back-to-back Masters wins.

The win is probably most remembered for the majestic 65 that Faldo carded on the Sunday having chopped round in 77 the day before.

Also that Scott Hoch managed to miss a 3-foot putt on the first sudden death playoff hole (10th) to win the Masters himself.

So, one of the most famous images of Masters history, of Faldo raising his arms and looking to the heavens in that rather unwise choice of jumper nearly didn’t happen.

Click here to watch Hoch’s miss and Faldo’s winning putt

 

Alex Narey
Content Editor

Alex began his journalism career in regional newspapers in 2001 and moved to the Press Association four years later. He spent three years working at Dennis Publishing before first joining Golf Monthly, where he was on the staff from 2008 to 2015 as the brand's managing editor, overseeing the day-to-day running of our award-winning magazine while also contributing across various digital platforms. A specialist in news and feature content, he has interviewed many of the world's top golfers and returns to Golf Monthly after a three-year stint working on the Daily Telegraph's sports desk. His current role is diverse as he undertakes a number of duties, from managing creative solutions campaigns in both digital and print to writing long-form features for the magazine. Alex has enjoyed a life-long passion for golf and currently plays to a handicap of 13 at Tylney Park Golf Club in Hampshire.