How Greg Norman's Masters dream was pulled apart by Nick Faldo

Greg Norman probably believed The Masters owed him something.

In 1986 he found the middle of the final fairway while tied for the lead and hit a dreadful approach that landed to the right of the green. He failed to get up and down and Jack Nicklaus claimed his 18th major. Later that year, Bob Tway would hole a bunker shot to deny Norman the US PGA Championship.

The following year was even worse. He was involved in a playoff with Seve Ballesteros and Larry Mize at Augusta. After the Spaniard was eliminated, Mize holed the most improbable of chips at the 11th hole for a birdie that broke the Australian’s heart.

But in 1996 that was surely all about to change. He played superbly for 54 holes, opening with a magnificent 63 and following it with a 69. When he added a 71 in the third round the 41-year-old Australian had opened up a six-shot lead on his nearest challenger, Nick Faldo, a two-time winner of the Green Jacket.

On no fewer than nine occasions did Norman hold the lead going into the final round of a major but only once did he turn that into a victory - at the 1986 Open. During that same year he lost 54-hole leads in all three of the other majors - at Augusta National he was beaten by Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd caught him at the US Open and a miraculous bunker shot from Tway ended his hopes at the PGA.

But this was different. He was six ahead, for goodness sake. The date was Sunday, April 14 and it would go down in history.

Norman had already won three times on the PGA Tour that season and was still sitting at the top of the world rankings.

Faldo turned up at Augusta half an hour late for his final round. Norman was already hitting golf balls and told reporters he was totally in control.

However, a snap hook into the trees at the opening hole resulted in a bogey. Faldo, meanwhile, opened par, birdie, par, par and later said: "I could feel the nervousness emanating from Greg. He gripped and regripped the club, as though he could not steel himself to hit the ball."

Faldo birdied the sixth before holing a 20-footer on the eighth. Norman was now only three in front and the doubts were beginning to set in. Norman visibly changed his pre-shot routine and seemed to take forever to hit the ball.

The Englishman took control on the stretch of holes from the 10th to the 12th, where a four-shot swing saw him move into the lead.

It started with Norman hitting a poor chip at the 10th and then missing his par putt. Then at the par-four 11th, he reached the green in regulation before shaving the lip with a 12-foot birdie effort. Even worse, the returning three-footer also stayed out. His lead had gone. Norman later admitted that this was the turning point.

After Faldo had left his tee shot to the left of the pin at the par-three 12th, Norman watched in horror as his seven-iron came up short and then rolled back into the water. Double bogey. Faldo two ahead.

After making a birdie at the 13th (which Faldo matched), Norman managed to par the 14th. At the par-five 15th the Australian hit a glorious eagle chip that looked in all the way but rolled past the hole. His reaction was to fall to his knees. It was like the last bit of energy had drained from his body.

And there was still worse to come at the par-three 16th when Norman found the water for another double bogey. Unbelievably, Faldo now led the tournament by four. And two holes later, the Englishman would close with a final birdie for a 67. From six behind he had won his third Green Jacket by five strokes.

Faldo warmly embraced his rival on the final green and told him that he didn’t know what to say. He later said: "I feel for him [Norman] because he is a great guy. I was trying to enjoy it, trying to stay positive, but I do feel sorry for Greg."

Norman’s verdict? "I screwed up. It was my fault. Nick played great, give him all the credit; his precision and ball striking were fantastic."

Faldo would only win once more and 12 months later he had a ringside seat for 36 holes as he witnessed the emergence of Tiger Woods. It represented the passing of the baton to the next generation.