Nick Faldo: My life in photos
Published:
 |
Thanking the press at Muirfield in 1992“If you watch the video, you can see me start to say, ‘I want to thank the press from the bottom…’ and then I say, ‘…the heart of my bottom.’ The truth is that it really was all done in jest. In those days the press were brutal. In 1990, I had won two majors and they spent the whole of ’91 following me around so that they could write me off. Also, you literally were on your own after winning a major. You’d walk off the green and maybe you’d have your wife and family there, but that’s it. There was no entourage like you see today and certainly no manager whispering ‘Say this, do that’. I was emotional, having almost lost the championship and then recovering to win, so it was a surreal moment. I can’t believe how much that speech is talked about – even today.”
|
 |
Hugging Greg Norman at Augusta, 1996“The one question I’m asked more than any other as I travel the world is what I said to Greg Norman on the 18th green. I was lucky in my career in that, although I won and lost majors, I was never mentally scarred by a defeat. I would imagine that experience scarred him and I genuinely felt for the guy. I knew how I would have felt in that situation if I had let a 6-shot lead slip with everybody making the assumption it was yours to win or lose. I said, “I’m not going to say much – I just want to give you a hug.”
|
 |
Muhammed Ali meeting, 2008“This was both a great and sad moment at the same time. Like many people of my generation, I grew up watching Ali boxing on Sportsnight in the famous Harry Carpenter days. He was the greatest – an incredible showman. It was unbelievable seeing pretty much a whole nation turn out to watch him when he fought George Foreman in Zaire in 1974. Before we met in September 2008, a lot of people told me he wouldn’t be coherent and that he wouldn’t know I was there but he definitely acknowledged my presence.”
|
 |
Receiving my knighthood, 2009“This was easily the most emotional day of my life outside of my children being born. I went to Windsor Castle with my children and my parents, who were very fragile at the time. It was just an incredible experience being whisked away off to the Kings’ and Queens’ rooms – the whole service was just an amazing experience that I will always remember.”
|
 |
The Red Arrows flyby at St Andrews in 1990“My caddie Fanny [Sunesson] and I were walking up the 18th fairway with a five-shot lead. I turned to her and said, ‘It’s OK, we’ve won this thing now; let’s look around, soak it all in and enjoy the experience.’ All of the madness that accompanies the final hole of the Open, like having to run to the green and fight through the crowds, are fun when you’re winning; not so much if you’re out of contention. Normally, during the last few holes of a major, you’re just trying to get yourself to breathe properly and stop your mouth from completely drying up, but this was a totally different and more relaxed experience. The Red Arrows flyby just topped off a brilliant week.” |
