Cleary: horror film right there on my television: Greg Norans Masters from 1996

I love the Open Championship, love the hard-n-fast fairways, the Links Golf, all these venerable old and classic layouts, where Old Tom Morris inspired Walter Hagen Who inspired Ben Hoganand so forth. You play in St. Andrews, it’s like running with giants.

But the open championship is not like Seve ball yestos transported, held in St. Andrews every year. There is a rota of courses as it should be and how there should be a different story for the US PGA championship, which should be shared with the PGAS of each country, says in the May issue of our magazine on Thursday. Jason day is in front.

But the master is always with Augusta. And that’s why it works. Every year the star is the star. And we got to know how we know our home track. And while Tiger, Jack and Arnold Palmerand go back to Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson And Gene Saracen I occasionally owned it in your own way, the star remains. Augusta is unbeaten.

But what Augusta can do best is stories. Wonderful stories. Nicklaus won in 1963 and 1986, Woods in 1997 and 2019 and 2019. Greg Norman I never won, not even when he was listed with six strokes on Saturday evening.

In 1996 the three old boys who started ceremonial were Saracen, Snead and Nelson, and there are bridges in Augusta who were named after these people. A few years when they started, they had hit their T -shots and continue playing. After nine holes, Snead was 2 under. Then he and the boys entered into eating at noon.

In the first round and it was all shark, wore a kind of stripe, buttonic, sleeveless cardigan and rocked this trademark Akubra straw. He went out in 30, wrote down 63 and tied the course record with his buddy. Nick price. It was Peak Shark in Augusta as he played. He owned it – at least for a day.

In round two and Norman conjured up 69. In round three, his 71 was only better through David Duval And Duffy Waldorf Who posted 69. I had forgotten that he played this round with Faldo. I forgot that he hit one in Rae’s Creek and made Bogey. I forgot that Faldo after 15 holes of the third round seven shots behind …

Greg Norman’s Ball -Stinging was in Augusta Exquisit in 1996 – until it wasn’t. Photo: Getty Images

At 18 there were six shots. Since then nobody had a greater lead in the lead Ray Floyd Nicklaus led eight in 1976.

“You really can’t think about the leadership,” Norman offered after the round.

“You never know,” said Faldo. “Everything is possible.”

And so Norman went into the bar (and not in the urinal, as suggested in the tradition) a water drink in front of the British Golf digestion Participant, participant Peter DberererSwitched on to him and said: “Well, Greg, not even you could now build it on that.”

Sharky did his best to block it. “Don’t react, Greg,” said Norman. “Block that.”

But if they plant an ear -load plants and had the solid brass balls of half a cut hack to say something like that The To Greg Norman at The Time – you could have made yourself worse.

And so, until Sunday, April 14, 1996 or Monday morning, our time in Australia. And the televisions showed us that Norman was missing a putt at 18 and lost to Nicklaus in 86 and lost and Larry Mize Chipping in 87.

“What’s the head on Sunday?” asked commentator Jim Nantz. “Do you think about the past? Think about what might have been?”

“You have to fight these demons,” offered former champion and Empath. Ben crenshaw. “He said that this is the one he wants. His mind looks strong. We will see today.”

And so Norman and Faldo shook the first tee and from there they probably saw what happened from there from there.

Pull hook drive, bogey on one. Birdie on two. Bogy on four. With 13 holes to play it was still Norman at five.

And fell as Norman, Faldo rose. There was a 10-shot swing in 13 holes.

“He has increased in my eating,” said Greg Norman about Nick Faldo after the 1996 masters at Augusta National. Photo: Getty Images.

On the 9th hole, Norman led from three and had a wedge from 94 meters. He hit a super high that sucked from the front. He had that in him, the great man, the work he put on the pill. Dud Putt followed and Bogey-Five.

Norman of two. To play nine.

He narrowed 10, led by one. Tired 11 – three putts out of nowhere. A shock. And they were bound at nine. One could say that the swing foldo prefers.

“I just hope that he is grouping and going out there,” said Price about his buddy. “He wants this green jacket more than anyone else.”

Maybe too much. Because a disaster followed. In Raes Bach he went to the doubles. He had achieved two, three, four, five in four rounds. Faldo of two.

Norman blocked it on the right in the pine straw. His caddy, Tony Navarroover -laid out. Usually Sharky does for it. Not this day. It followed an almost effective 8-iron. It was unspeakable. It wasn’t like that. He was not himself.

Faldo took two iron, smoked it. Simple birdie. Norman also did one!

There was a brilliant putt at 14 for a par. Two still down. Four to play. A lot. And via coffee and coco pops at 7:30 a.m. on the east coast of Australia, we thought. Wait! Let’s go, Sharky. Let’s go …

On the 15th, when he had a six-iron from 200 meters, he fell a break, the ball stayed out of the water. His chip shaved the hole and Norman fell to the ground … you will have seen the picture.

This eagle chip at 15 was the death bang for Greg Norman. Photo: Getty Images.

He still made Birdie. But also Faldo. And Norman now went out the holes.

Then luck went out.

In 16th place the Harpune went to the shark and put it on the boards. He had a crack on the narrow left flag and protected it in the drink. Missed 30 meters.

It was over.

Norman regretted the last two, while Faldo had 18 bird and recorded a brilliant 67, low round of the day. The couple then shared a nice big hug, full of empathy.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” said Norman in the after-round press. “So that he can tell me under the circumstances … I will not tell you what it was, you can ask him. But he went up in my assessment. It was very special.”

When asked what he had said to Norman, Faldo said: “I just said:” I just want to hug you. “There were a few other parts, but they won’t know.”

Another (great) story.