Nick Faldo
Encyclopedia
Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE
(born 18 July 1957) is an English professional golfer
on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors
: three Open Championship
s and three Masters. He was ranked the World No. 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings
for a total of 98 weeks.
In 2006, Faldo became the lead golf analyst for CBS Sports
.
, England. He borrowed some clubs from his neighbours after watching Jack Nicklaus
play the 1971 Masters on television. While working as a carpet fitter, Faldo won the English Amateur
and the British Youths Championship in 1975. He turned professional in 1976 and quickly achieved success, finishing 8th on the European Tour Order of Merit in 1977 and 3rd in 1978 and winning a European Tour event in each of those seasons. In the former year he became the youngest player to appear in the Ryder Cup
at the age of 21. Faldo was one of the leading players on the European Tour in the early 1980s, and he topped the Order of Merit in 1983.
However, feeling that he needed to refine his game in order to become a regular contender in major championships
(British tabloids even dubbed him "Nick Foldo" after collapses at the 1983 Open Championship and the 1984 Masters), he spent the mid-1980s remodelling his swing under the tutelage of David Leadbetter
. His performances dropped off for a couple of years as the changes occurred, but by 1987 he was playing at an even higher level, and he claimed his first major title at that year's Open Championship. He beat American Paul Azinger
by one stroke, having parred every hole in his final round. Azinger held the lead for a time, but bogeyed both seventeen and eighteen.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Faldo was considered the best golfer in the world. He was noted for being remarkably composed under pressure, intimidating to his opponents, and won more of the four professional major tournaments (Faldo won six) than any other player in the world from 1987 through 1996 (Nick Price
was second with three major victories during this period; Seve Ballesteros, a contemporary of Faldo's from Spain, won five majors from 1979 to 1988). He won the Open Championship again in 1990 in St Andrews
, Scotland by six shots, and claimed it for a third time in 1992, outplaying American John Cook
. He also won two more majors when he won the Masters Tournament in 1989 and 1990. At the 1989 Masters, he shot a 65, the low round of the tournament, to get into a playoff with Scott Hoch
. He won the playoff after holing a somewhat lengthy putt on the 2nd playoff hole (Hoch had missed a 2-foot putt to win on the first playoff hole). At the 1990 Masters, he came from behind again to get into a playoff with Raymond Floyd
, once again winning on the second playoff hole after Floyd pulled his approach shot into a pond left of the green. Faldo spent a total of 98 weeks altogether at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings
, and claimed the European Tour Order of Merit a second time in 1992. During that time, Faldo said of his success: "The run doesn't have to end. If someone is going to beat me then I'm going to make sure they've worked for their victory. Let them come and get it from me." That year, he had worldwide earnings of £1,558,978, breaking the existing record.
Throughout this time, he remained a European Tour player while also visiting America regularly and playing events around the world, but in 1995 he decided to concentrate on playing on the PGA Tour, as his priority was to win further major championships (and three out of the four majors are played in the United States). At first this strategy didn't seem to work, as he had a moderate 1995 season and start to the 1996 season, but he won a famous victory at the 1996 Masters to collect his sixth and final major championship. He went into the final round trailing Greg Norman
by six shots, but was the beneficiary of an infamous Sunday collapse by Norman; Faldo shot a 67 to win by five over Norman, who struggled mightily en route to a 78. Though this is commonly remembered as the tournament Norman threw away, Faldo's 67 was a memorable display of concentration and consistency which put pressure on Norman. After Faldo finished, he hugged Norman and whispered something in his ear, which years later Norman confirmed to have included the line "Don't let the bastards get you down," a reference to the media, which Faldo assumed would aggressively hound Norman for the loss. Norman said in interview after defeat that "He (Faldo) had gone way, way up in my estimations." Since then they have become firm friends and fishing partners, a passion they both share.
Faldo was named the PGA Tour
Player of the Year in 1990 and the European Tour Player of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 1992, and has won 29 European Tour titles. As Faldo entered his forties, his form gradually declined and he devoted more time to off-course activities. The last season that he played regularly on the PGA Tour was 2001. Afterwards, he refocused on the European Tour, but has consistently played less than a full schedule. His most recent top-10 finish in a major to date (and quite probably the final of his career) was a tie for eighth place at the 2003 Open Championship. As of July 2005, his career European Tour earnings are just under €8 million, and his PGA Tour earnings are over $5 million.
Faldo is also the most successful Ryder Cup player ever, having won the most points of any player on either team and having represented the European Team a record 11 times and played a key role in making Europe competitive in the event. Having won 23 of his matches, lost 19, and halved 4, he also holds the record for having played the most Ryder Cup matches. He also holds the record for the most points won by any player 25 and is one of only six players to have scored a hole-in-one in the Ryder Cup.
While Faldo's professional individual tournament wins (39) pale in quantity to that of contemporaries Greg Norman
, Seve Ballesteros, and Bernhard Langer
, the prestige and stature of his successes are impressive, and he has more major victories than any of these players. His CV boasts (often multiple) successes in high-profile tour events such as the French Open, Irish Open, Spanish Open, Swiss Open (now European Masters), the European PGA, the British Masters, the European Open, the Johnnie Walker Classic, and the Volvo Masters, as well as his Nissan Open, Doral Open, and Heritage successes in the US. These wins are not only supplemented by his six majors, but also by his wins in invitational events such as the Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge, the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
, and the World Matchplay, as well as his team successes in the Dunhill Cup, the World Cup of Golf, and of course the Ryder Cup.
In the first half of 2007, Faldo did not appear in any regular tour events. He did play in the 2007 British Open, missing the cut. In his first Champions Tour
event, he finished tied for 14th in the Senior British Open.
On Tuesday 20 May 2008, Faldo confirmed that he would not take part in the 2008 Open at Birkdale. It was the first time he had not taken part in the competition since failing to qualify as an amateur in 1975. He entered himself into the 2009 Open Championship
at Turnberry and the 2010 Open Championship
at St Andrews, missing the 36 hole cut at both events.
. The 37th Ryder Cup Golf Tournament
was won 16½ – 11½ by Team USA to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981
, and the first time since 1979
the Americans had the lead after every session of play. It was held at the Valhalla Golf Club
in Louisville
, Kentucky, USA, which was a contributing factor in Faldo getting the captaincy; he had lived and worked in America for over a decade.
Faldo had made a bold move to pick Ian Poulter
as his wild card ahead of the much favoured Darren Clarke
. This decision, questioned by many, paid off when Poulter emerged as the top scorer in the tournament with four wins from his five games. Faldo's relationship with the printed media during the competition was very erratic. During practice, photographers had taken pictures of him holding a list of names, seemingly outlining the partnerships for the coming days. In the following press conference, he denied the list had any part in his tactics and seemed irritated by continuing questions about it. Another controversial move was to play Sergio García
and Lee Westwood
, the two most experienced and successful Ryder cup players on his team, for only one session on the Saturday. His team selection was vindicated, however, as Europe finished the day 1 point ahead, closing the gap to 2 points behind the USA. On the final day of the competition, Faldo appeared to play a "bottom heavy" tactic, where Europe's biggest names (though not necessarily the most in-form players that week) would start lower down the order, thus if it went to a close finish Europe would have its most experienced players in the hot seat. The tactic failed however, as the USA, leading by 2 at the start of the day, gained the 5 points they required by the eighth match rendering the last four irrelevant. This led to some criticism of Faldo, even though ex-captain Tony Jacklin (speaking on Sky Sports) had commended Faldo's singles strategy at the start of play. Europe's cause was not helped by the poor performances of the three most experienced players on the European side, Pádraig Harrington
, Sergio García
, and Lee Westwood
, who failed to win a single match between them all week. The raucous home crowd was also considered a key factor in the USA's victory.
On 3 October 2006, it was announced that Faldo had signed a contract with CBS
to replace Lanny Wadkins
, to become the network's lead golf analyst. "I view this as a fabulous opportunity for me, which may come once every 10 years. But it will seriously curtail my playing career. My playing days aren't completely over but my priority now is given to CBS." Faldo's decision meant he missed the 2007 Masters, an event he had won three times.
In 2007 he became the Golf Channel's lead golf analyst for their coverage on the PGA Tour
.
(Kent, England), Sporting Club Berlin, Ocean Dunes, Vietnam, Cottonwood Hills near Hutchinson
, Kansas, and the Wadi course (now named The Faldo) at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai. Faldo will be designing a championship golf course and a golf academy at Lavasa
, India.
As way of opening his first course design in the UK (Charthills) in Kent, Faldo teed up on the dog-leg right par four. He drove in to the middle-right of the fairway, he then teed another ball and drove off, the two balls finished within 6 inches of each other and to this day can be seen set in to the fairway in a protective case. This was a mark of the man's ability at his peak. So far he did as well several oversea golf course designs like The Fortress at Louisbourg Resort Golf & Spa on Cape Breton Island
, Canada. Most recently, he designed a world-class course in San Miguel de Allende, México. Ventanas de San Miguel hosts an 18 hole par-70 course to be opened in late 2010. He has other business interests including coaching schools and pro shops. In 1996 he launched the Faldo Series to encourage young European golfers both male and female.
There are over 1,200 participants between the ages of 11 and 21 each year and the top 60 players qualify for the Faldo Series Final, hosted each year by Faldo at the Lough Erne Golf Resort, Northern Ireland. The most notable graduates include Rory McIlroy
, Yani Tseng
, and Nick Dougherty
.
Faldo has written several golf instructional books.
Along with the Marriott
hotel chain, Faldo established The Faldo Golf Institute in 1997. This is a golf instructional program designed to help golfers of every level improve their skills and enjoyment of golf. The Institute has five locations: Orlando
, Florida; Atlantic City
, New Jersey; Palm Desert
, California; Marco Island
, Florida; and Hertfordshire
, UK.
In 2007, Mercedes-Benz
tapped Faldo to act as brand ambassador
, to promote the revival of the Maybach
brand of ultra-luxury automobiles.
in 1989 and inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
in 1997. In 2000, Faldo was ranked 18th greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest
magazine.
He was awarded the MBE
in 1998, then knighted
in the 2009 Birthday Honours for his services to golf.
The three-year affair with Cepelak ended when Faldo met Valerie Bercher. The spurned Cepelak famously battered Faldo's Porsche 959
with a golf club, causing £10,000 damage. Faldo's relationship with Bercher, a Swiss PR agent, began in 1998 when they met at the European Masters golf tournament. At the time, Bercher was working for marketing company IMG
. She left her fiance Olivier Delaloye and married Faldo in July 2001 (the same day as his ex-caddie Fanny Sunesson
got married, in a different location) in a lavish ceremony at his Windsor home, and they have a daughter Emma Scarlet (born 2003). It was announced in May 2006 that Faldo had filed for divorce.
Golf World famously summed up the true mark of genius when they profiled the careers of Faldo and his arch rival for many years Greg Norman: "Norman has played and won more events: 87–43; however, Faldo has won more US and European tour titles: 36–34. Norman has won more money; Faldo has won more majors: 6–2. Norman has won more friends, Faldo more admirers."
Faldo is a supporter of the Conservative Party
.
1 Defeated Scott Hoch in sudden death playoff – Faldo (5–3=8), Hoch (5–4=9)
2 Defeated Raymond Floyd in sudden death playoff – Faldo (4–4=8), Floyd (4–5=9)
DNP = did not play
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 18 July 1957) is an English professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
: three Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
s and three Masters. He was ranked the World No. 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
for a total of 98 weeks.
In 2006, Faldo became the lead golf analyst for CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
.
Tournament career
Faldo was born in Welwyn Garden CityWelwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
, England. He borrowed some clubs from his neighbours after watching Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
play the 1971 Masters on television. While working as a carpet fitter, Faldo won the English Amateur
English Amateur
The English Amateur is the national amateur match play golf championship of England. It has been played annually since 1925 and is organized by the English Golf Union....
and the British Youths Championship in 1975. He turned professional in 1976 and quickly achieved success, finishing 8th on the European Tour Order of Merit in 1977 and 3rd in 1978 and winning a European Tour event in each of those seasons. In the former year he became the youngest player to appear in the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
at the age of 21. Faldo was one of the leading players on the European Tour in the early 1980s, and he topped the Order of Merit in 1983.
However, feeling that he needed to refine his game in order to become a regular contender in major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
(British tabloids even dubbed him "Nick Foldo" after collapses at the 1983 Open Championship and the 1984 Masters), he spent the mid-1980s remodelling his swing under the tutelage of David Leadbetter
David Leadbetter (golf instructor)
David Leadbetter is a leading golf instructor, originally from Worthing in England. He began his career on the European and Southern African tours, but had little success as a player...
. His performances dropped off for a couple of years as the changes occurred, but by 1987 he was playing at an even higher level, and he claimed his first major title at that year's Open Championship. He beat American Paul Azinger
Paul Azinger
Paul William Azinger is an American professional golfer and occasional on air golf analyst. He spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1994.-Early years:...
by one stroke, having parred every hole in his final round. Azinger held the lead for a time, but bogeyed both seventeen and eighteen.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Faldo was considered the best golfer in the world. He was noted for being remarkably composed under pressure, intimidating to his opponents, and won more of the four professional major tournaments (Faldo won six) than any other player in the world from 1987 through 1996 (Nick Price
Nick Price
Nicholas Raymond Leige Price is a South African-Zimbabwean Professional golfer and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Background:...
was second with three major victories during this period; Seve Ballesteros, a contemporary of Faldo's from Spain, won five majors from 1979 to 1988). He won the Open Championship again in 1990 in St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, Scotland by six shots, and claimed it for a third time in 1992, outplaying American John Cook
John Cook (golfer)
John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour....
. He also won two more majors when he won the Masters Tournament in 1989 and 1990. At the 1989 Masters, he shot a 65, the low round of the tournament, to get into a playoff with Scott Hoch
Scott Hoch
Scott Mabon Hoch is an American golfer, who represented his country in the Ryder Cup in 1997 and 2002.Hoch was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University before graduating in 1978. He also played on the winning U.S. team in the Eisenhower Trophy...
. He won the playoff after holing a somewhat lengthy putt on the 2nd playoff hole (Hoch had missed a 2-foot putt to win on the first playoff hole). At the 1990 Masters, he came from behind again to get into a playoff with Raymond Floyd
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....
, once again winning on the second playoff hole after Floyd pulled his approach shot into a pond left of the green. Faldo spent a total of 98 weeks altogether at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
, and claimed the European Tour Order of Merit a second time in 1992. During that time, Faldo said of his success: "The run doesn't have to end. If someone is going to beat me then I'm going to make sure they've worked for their victory. Let them come and get it from me." That year, he had worldwide earnings of £1,558,978, breaking the existing record.
Throughout this time, he remained a European Tour player while also visiting America regularly and playing events around the world, but in 1995 he decided to concentrate on playing on the PGA Tour, as his priority was to win further major championships (and three out of the four majors are played in the United States). At first this strategy didn't seem to work, as he had a moderate 1995 season and start to the 1996 season, but he won a famous victory at the 1996 Masters to collect his sixth and final major championship. He went into the final round trailing Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
by six shots, but was the beneficiary of an infamous Sunday collapse by Norman; Faldo shot a 67 to win by five over Norman, who struggled mightily en route to a 78. Though this is commonly remembered as the tournament Norman threw away, Faldo's 67 was a memorable display of concentration and consistency which put pressure on Norman. After Faldo finished, he hugged Norman and whispered something in his ear, which years later Norman confirmed to have included the line "Don't let the bastards get you down," a reference to the media, which Faldo assumed would aggressively hound Norman for the loss. Norman said in interview after defeat that "He (Faldo) had gone way, way up in my estimations." Since then they have become firm friends and fishing partners, a passion they both share.
Faldo was named the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
Player of the Year in 1990 and the European Tour Player of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 1992, and has won 29 European Tour titles. As Faldo entered his forties, his form gradually declined and he devoted more time to off-course activities. The last season that he played regularly on the PGA Tour was 2001. Afterwards, he refocused on the European Tour, but has consistently played less than a full schedule. His most recent top-10 finish in a major to date (and quite probably the final of his career) was a tie for eighth place at the 2003 Open Championship. As of July 2005, his career European Tour earnings are just under €8 million, and his PGA Tour earnings are over $5 million.
Faldo is also the most successful Ryder Cup player ever, having won the most points of any player on either team and having represented the European Team a record 11 times and played a key role in making Europe competitive in the event. Having won 23 of his matches, lost 19, and halved 4, he also holds the record for having played the most Ryder Cup matches. He also holds the record for the most points won by any player 25 and is one of only six players to have scored a hole-in-one in the Ryder Cup.
While Faldo's professional individual tournament wins (39) pale in quantity to that of contemporaries Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
, Seve Ballesteros, and Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986...
, the prestige and stature of his successes are impressive, and he has more major victories than any of these players. His CV boasts (often multiple) successes in high-profile tour events such as the French Open, Irish Open, Spanish Open, Swiss Open (now European Masters), the European PGA, the British Masters, the European Open, the Johnnie Walker Classic, and the Volvo Masters, as well as his Nissan Open, Doral Open, and Heritage successes in the US. These wins are not only supplemented by his six majors, but also by his wins in invitational events such as the Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge, the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
The Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship was a golf event held at the Tryall Golf Club in Jamaica from 1991 to 1995.The tournament was intended to be an official World Championship event to rival the four majors but was terminated after just five stagings....
, and the World Matchplay, as well as his team successes in the Dunhill Cup, the World Cup of Golf, and of course the Ryder Cup.
In the first half of 2007, Faldo did not appear in any regular tour events. He did play in the 2007 British Open, missing the cut. In his first Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
event, he finished tied for 14th in the Senior British Open.
On Tuesday 20 May 2008, Faldo confirmed that he would not take part in the 2008 Open at Birkdale. It was the first time he had not taken part in the competition since failing to qualify as an amateur in 1975. He entered himself into the 2009 Open Championship
2009 Open Championship
The 2009 Open Championship was the 138th Open Championship, one of the four major golf championships, and was played from 16–19 July at the Turnberry Resort, in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the fourth time The Open Championship had been played at Turnberry...
at Turnberry and the 2010 Open Championship
2010 Open Championship
The 2010 Open Championship was the 139th Open Championship, the oldest of golf's four majors, and was played from 15–18 July over the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was celebrated as the 150th anniversary of the founding of The Open in 1860...
at St Andrews, missing the 36 hole cut at both events.
Ryder Cup captaincy
Faldo was selected as captain of the European Ryder Cup team in 20082008 Ryder Cup
The 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
. The 37th Ryder Cup Golf Tournament
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
was won 16½ – 11½ by Team USA to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981
1981 Ryder Cup
The 24th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Walton Heath Golf Club in Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey, England.The United States team won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points. To date it remains the heaviest defeat that a European team has suffered at the hands of the United States.-Format:The...
, and the first time since 1979
1979 Ryder Cup
The 23rd Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Greenbrier Course of The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It was the beginning of a new era for the Ryder Cup...
the Americans had the lead after every session of play. It was held at the Valhalla Golf Club
Valhalla Golf Club
Valhalla Golf Club, located east of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, is a private golf club designed by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus. The course, which sits on a property on Shelbyville Road in the eastern portion of Louisville just outside the Gene Snyder Freeway, was envisioned by local business...
in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky, USA, which was a contributing factor in Faldo getting the captaincy; he had lived and worked in America for over a decade.
Faldo had made a bold move to pick Ian Poulter
Ian Poulter
Ian James Poulter is an English professional golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has previously been as high as number five in the world rankings...
as his wild card ahead of the much favoured Darren Clarke
Darren Clarke
Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the...
. This decision, questioned by many, paid off when Poulter emerged as the top scorer in the tournament with four wins from his five games. Faldo's relationship with the printed media during the competition was very erratic. During practice, photographers had taken pictures of him holding a list of names, seemingly outlining the partnerships for the coming days. In the following press conference, he denied the list had any part in his tactics and seemed irritated by continuing questions about it. Another controversial move was to play Sergio García
Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings...
and Lee Westwood
Lee Westwood
Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons...
, the two most experienced and successful Ryder cup players on his team, for only one session on the Saturday. His team selection was vindicated, however, as Europe finished the day 1 point ahead, closing the gap to 2 points behind the USA. On the final day of the competition, Faldo appeared to play a "bottom heavy" tactic, where Europe's biggest names (though not necessarily the most in-form players that week) would start lower down the order, thus if it went to a close finish Europe would have its most experienced players in the hot seat. The tactic failed however, as the USA, leading by 2 at the start of the day, gained the 5 points they required by the eighth match rendering the last four irrelevant. This led to some criticism of Faldo, even though ex-captain Tony Jacklin (speaking on Sky Sports) had commended Faldo's singles strategy at the start of play. Europe's cause was not helped by the poor performances of the three most experienced players on the European side, Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
, Sergio García
Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings...
, and Lee Westwood
Lee Westwood
Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons...
, who failed to win a single match between them all week. The raucous home crowd was also considered a key factor in the USA's victory.
Broadcasting career
After cutting back on his playing schedule, Faldo became a broadcaster for ABC Sports' PGA Tour coverage, where he worked from 2004 to 2006. While never considered to be a particularly charismatic player, Faldo surprised many fans with his dry, British wit and insightful commentary as part of the ABC team.On 3 October 2006, it was announced that Faldo had signed a contract with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
to replace Lanny Wadkins
Lanny Wadkins
Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins, Jr. is an American professional golfer. He ranked in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 86 weeks from their debut in 1986 to 1988....
, to become the network's lead golf analyst. "I view this as a fabulous opportunity for me, which may come once every 10 years. But it will seriously curtail my playing career. My playing days aren't completely over but my priority now is given to CBS." Faldo's decision meant he missed the 2007 Masters, an event he had won three times.
In 2007 he became the Golf Channel's lead golf analyst for their coverage on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.
Other activities and awards
In 1991 Faldo launched his golf course design practice Faldo Design, which has designed or remodelled dozens of courses spread across several continents. Designs include Chart Hills Golf ClubChart Hills Golf Club
Chart Hills Golf Club is a private golf club in Biddenden, Kent in England.It is owned by Leaderboard Golf along with 4 other golfing venues in the South East including The Oxfordshire Golf Club near Oxford, Sandford Springs Golf Club near Basingstoke and Newbury, Dale Hill Golf Club in Wadhurst...
(Kent, England), Sporting Club Berlin, Ocean Dunes, Vietnam, Cottonwood Hills near Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
, Kansas, and the Wadi course (now named The Faldo) at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai. Faldo will be designing a championship golf course and a golf academy at Lavasa
Lavasa
Lavasa is a private, planned city being built near Pune.A or project being developed by HCC, this as-yet-incomplete city has been controversial for multiple reasons including procurement of land, harm to the environment, and loans acquired through political corruption.In late 2010 the Indian...
, India.
As way of opening his first course design in the UK (Charthills) in Kent, Faldo teed up on the dog-leg right par four. He drove in to the middle-right of the fairway, he then teed another ball and drove off, the two balls finished within 6 inches of each other and to this day can be seen set in to the fairway in a protective case. This was a mark of the man's ability at his peak. So far he did as well several oversea golf course designs like The Fortress at Louisbourg Resort Golf & Spa on Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
, Canada. Most recently, he designed a world-class course in San Miguel de Allende, México. Ventanas de San Miguel hosts an 18 hole par-70 course to be opened in late 2010. He has other business interests including coaching schools and pro shops. In 1996 he launched the Faldo Series to encourage young European golfers both male and female.
There are over 1,200 participants between the ages of 11 and 21 each year and the top 60 players qualify for the Faldo Series Final, hosted each year by Faldo at the Lough Erne Golf Resort, Northern Ireland. The most notable graduates include Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down. He has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007...
, Yani Tseng
Yani Tseng
Yani Tseng is a Taiwanese professional golfer currently playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships and is currently ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings....
, and Nick Dougherty
Nick Dougherty
Nicholas Dougherty is an English professional golfer.Dougherty was born in Bootle, Merseyside, and attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School near Blackburn, Lancashire. He is a protégé of former professional golfer, Nick Faldo, and had an exceptional amateur career...
.
Faldo has written several golf instructional books.
Along with the Marriott
Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
hotel chain, Faldo established The Faldo Golf Institute in 1997. This is a golf instructional program designed to help golfers of every level improve their skills and enjoyment of golf. The Institute has five locations: Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida; Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, New Jersey; Palm Desert
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
, California; Marco Island
Marco Island, Florida
Marco Island is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States, located on an island by the same name in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Southwest Florida. It is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Florida; and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, UK.
In 2007, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
tapped Faldo to act as brand ambassador
Brand ambassador
A Brand Ambassador is a person employed by a company to be the sales rep and physical representative of the company with respect to sales and marketing. The Brand Ambassador is meant to embody the corporate image in appearance, demeanor, values, and ethics....
, to promote the revival of the Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
brand of ultra-luxury automobiles.
Knighthood and other honors
Faldo was voted BBC Sports Personality of the YearBBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
in 1989 and inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
in 1997. In 2000, Faldo was ranked 18th greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
magazine.
He was awarded the MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1998, then knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 2009 Birthday Honours for his services to golf.
Personal life
Faldo met his first wife, Melanie Rockall, when he was 21. They married in 1979, but five years later they parted when she discovered he was having an affair with his manager's secretary, Gill Bennett. His divorce from Rockall came before his championship successes, and her settlement was relatively small. He married Bennett in 1986, and the couple had three children: Natalie, Matthew, and Georgia. They split up in 1995 after Faldo began a relationship with 20-year-old American golfing student Brenna Cepelak.The three-year affair with Cepelak ended when Faldo met Valerie Bercher. The spurned Cepelak famously battered Faldo's Porsche 959
Porsche 959
The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built....
with a golf club, causing £10,000 damage. Faldo's relationship with Bercher, a Swiss PR agent, began in 1998 when they met at the European Masters golf tournament. At the time, Bercher was working for marketing company IMG
IMG (business)
IMG, originally known as the International Management Group is a global sports and media business headquartered in New York City.-History:...
. She left her fiance Olivier Delaloye and married Faldo in July 2001 (the same day as his ex-caddie Fanny Sunesson
Fanny Sunesson
Fanny Sunesson born in Karlshamn, Sweden is a professional golf caddy, who is most noted as being the caddy for Nick Faldo from 1990 to 1999. She is the caddy for European Tour player Henrik Stenson.-Career:Fanny was born into a golfing family...
got married, in a different location) in a lavish ceremony at his Windsor home, and they have a daughter Emma Scarlet (born 2003). It was announced in May 2006 that Faldo had filed for divorce.
Golf World famously summed up the true mark of genius when they profiled the careers of Faldo and his arch rival for many years Greg Norman: "Norman has played and won more events: 87–43; however, Faldo has won more US and European tour titles: 36–34. Norman has won more money; Faldo has won more majors: 6–2. Norman has won more friends, Faldo more admirers."
Faldo is a supporter of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
PGA Tour wins (9)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 Apr 1984 1984 PGA Tour The 1984 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 30. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Denis Watson and Tom Watson won the most tournaments, three, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
Sea Pines Heritage | 1 stroke |  Tom KiteTom Kite Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1989 and 1994.... |
|
| 2 | 19 Jul 1987 1987 PGA Tour The 1987 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to November 1. The season consisted of 46 official money events. Paul Azinger and Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, three, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 stroke | Paul Azinger Paul Azinger Paul William Azinger is an American professional golfer and occasional on air golf analyst. He spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1994.-Early years:... ,  Rodger DavisRodger Davis Rodger Miles Davis is an Australian professional golfer.Davis was born in Sydney. He turned professional in 1974 and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1990 and 1991... |
|
| 3 | 9 Apr 1989 1989 PGA Tour The 1989 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Steve Jones and Tom Kite won the most tournaments, three, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
Masters Tournament | Playoff | Scott Hoch Scott Hoch Scott Mabon Hoch is an American golfer, who represented his country in the Ryder Cup in 1997 and 2002.Hoch was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University before graduating in 1978. He also played on the winning U.S. team in the Eisenhower Trophy... |
|
| 4 | 8 Apr 1990 1990 PGA Tour The 1990 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Wayne Levi won the most tournaments, four, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Masters Tournament | Playoff | Raymond Floyd Raymond Floyd Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.... |
|
| 5 | 22 Jul 1990 1990 PGA Tour The 1990 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Wayne Levi won the most tournaments, four, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
5 strokes |  Mark McNultyMark McNulty Mark William McNulty is an Irish/Zimbabwean professional golfer currently playing on the Champions Tour. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, and cracked the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 83 weeks from 1987 to 1992.McNulty... , Payne StewartPayne Stewart William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.... |
|
| 6 | 19 Jul 1992 1992 PGA Tour The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 stroke | John Cook John Cook (golfer) John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour.... |
|
| 7 | 5 Mar 1995 1995 PGA Tour The 1995 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Lee Janzen and Greg Norman won the most tournaments, three, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
Doral-Ryder Open | 1 stroke | Peter Jacobsen Peter Jacobsen Peter Erling Jacobsen is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. He has won seven events on the PGA Tour and two events on the Champions Tour, both majors.-Early years:... , Greg NormanGreg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
|
| 8 | 14 Apr 1996 1996 PGA Tour The 1996 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events . Phil Mickelson won the most tournaments, four, and there were 13 first-time winners. The season notably featured the first Tour win for Tiger Woods... |
Masters Tournament | 5 strokes | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
|
| 9 | 2 Mar 1997 1997 PGA Tour The 1997 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 2. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Nissan Open Nissan Open The Northern Trust Open, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, first played in 1926. Formerly known as the Nissan Open and originally known as the Los Angeles Open, it is played annually in February in Pacific Palisades, California. The tournament has been contested at the Riviera... |
3 strokes | Craig Stadler Craig Stadler Craig Robert Stadler is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.... |
European Tour wins (30)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 Aug 1977 | Skol Lager Individual Skol Lager Individual The Skol Lager Individual was a one off European Tour golf tournament which was played over the King's Course at Gleneagles in Scotland on 16 and 17 August 1977. The event was cut from 72 to 36 holes , and after the two rounds Nick Faldo, Craig Defoy of Wales and Chris Witcher were tied on 139... |
Playoff |  Craig Defoy,  Chris Witcher |
|
| 2 | 29 May 1978 | Colgate PGA Championship | 7 strokes |  Ken BrownKen Brown (golfer) Ken Brown is a Scottish former European Tour golfer who now works as a golf broadcaster and writer, primarily for the BBC. He also works as part of the commentary team for the international coverage of the European Tour on selected events which are not covered by the BBC... |
|
| 3 | 26 May 1980 | Sun Alliance PGA Championship | 1 stroke | Ken Brown |
|
| 4 | 25 May 1981 | Sun Alliance PGA Championship | 4 strokes | Ken Brown, Neil Coles Neil Coles Neil Chapman Coles, MBE is an English professional golfer. As of 2005, Coles is only the second man to win a professional golf tournament in six different decades, starting in the 1950s and extending into the 21st century.Coles was born in England... |
|
| 5 | 19 Sep 1982 | Haig Whisky TPC | 3 strokes |  Manuel Calero |
|
| 6 | 8 May 1983 | Paco Rabanne Open de France | Playoff | José Maria Cañizares, David J Russell David J Russell David John Russell is an English professional golfer.Russell was born in Birmingham. He turned professional in 1973 and spent many years on the European Tour, making the top one hundred on the Order or Merit twelve times between 1979 and 1992, with a best ranking of 24th in 1985... , Seve Ballesteros |
|
| 7 | 15 May 1983 | Martini International Martini International The Martini International was a men's professional golf tournament that was held from 1961 to 1983. It was hosted by several different golf clubs in England, Scotland and Wales. It was part of the European Tour's schedule from the tour's first official season in 1972 until the event ceased... |
Playoff | José Maria Cañizares |
|
| 8 | 22 May 1983 | Car Care Plan International Car Care Plan International The Car Care Plan International was a European Tour golf tournament which was played annually from 1982 to 1986. It was hosted by three different golf clubs in the English city of Leeds. In 1983 and 1984, it was won by future six time major championship winner Nick Faldo... |
1 stroke | Howard Clark, Brian Waites Brian Waites Brian Waites is an English professional golfer.Waites turned professional in 1957 and played on the European Tour through most of the 1970s and 1980s. He was in his prime between 1978 and 1984, ranking between 10th and 22nd on the Order of Merit in each of those seven years. He won two European... |
|
| 9 | 24 Jul 1983 | Lawrence Batley International Lawrence Batley International The Lawrence Batley International was a European Tour golf tournament which was played annually from 1981 to 1987. The first three editions were played at Bingley St lves, Bradford, the next three at Ryder Cup venue The Belfry and the final edition at Open Championship venue Royal Birkdale... |
4 strokes | Warren Humphreys Warren Humphreys Warren Humphreys is an English professional golfer.Humphreys was born in Kingston. He had a successful amateur career, winning the 1971 English Amateur and playing on that year's winning Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team... , Brian Waites, Paul WayPaul Way Paul G. Way is an English professional golfer.Way was born in Kingsbury, Middlesex. He went to the Hugh Christie School in Tonbridge, Kent... |
|
| 10 | 11 Sep 1983 | Ebel Swiss Open-European Masters | Playoff | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
|
| 11 | 13 May 1984 | Car Care Plan International Car Care Plan International The Car Care Plan International was a European Tour golf tournament which was played annually from 1982 to 1986. It was hosted by three different golf clubs in the English city of Leeds. In 1983 and 1984, it was won by future six time major championship winner Nick Faldo... |
1 stroke | Howard Clark |
|
| 12 | 17 May 1987 | Peugeot Spanish Open | 2 strokes |  Hugh BaiocchiHugh Baiocchi Hugh John Baiocchi is a South African professional golfer who has won more than twenty professional tournaments around the world.... , Seve Ballesteros |
|
| 13 | 19 Jul 1987 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 stroke | Paul Azinger Paul Azinger Paul William Azinger is an American professional golfer and occasional on air golf analyst. He spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1994.-Early years:... , Rodger DavisRodger Davis Rodger Miles Davis is an Australian professional golfer.Davis was born in Sydney. He turned professional in 1974 and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1990 and 1991... |
|
| 14 | 26 Jun 1988 | Peugeot Open de France | 2 strokes | Denis Durnian Denis Durnian Denis Durnian is an English professional golfer.Durnian was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester. He turned professional in 1969 and played on the European Tour from the early 1970s to the early 1990s. He never won a European Tour event, but he finished second four occasions, with one being a defeat... , Wayne RileyWayne Riley Wayne Riley is an Australian professional golfer.Riley was born in Sydney. He turned professional in 1977, and started out on the PGA Tour of Australasia... |
|
| 15 | 30 Oct 1988 | Volvo Masters Volvo Masters The Volvo Masters was the concluding official money event of the European Tour season until 2009, when it was replaced by the Dubai World Championship... |
2 strokes | Seve Ballesteros |
|
| 16 | 9 Apr 1989 | Masters Tournament | Playoff | Scott Hoch Scott Hoch Scott Mabon Hoch is an American golfer, who represented his country in the Ryder Cup in 1997 and 2002.Hoch was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University before graduating in 1978. He also played on the winning U.S. team in the Eisenhower Trophy... |
|
| 17 | 30 May 1989 | Volvo PGA Championship | 2 strokes | Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
|
| 18 | 4 Jun 1989 | Dunhill British Masters | 4 strokes |  Ronan RaffertyRonan Rafferty Ronan P. Rafferty is an Northern Irish professional golfer, who formerly played on the European Tour.Rafferty was born in Newry, Northern Ireland. He won the Boys Amateur Championship aged fifteen and played in the Walker Cup aged seventeen... |
|
| 19 | 2 Jul 1989 | Peugeot Open de France | 1 stroke | Hugh Baiocchi,  Bernhard LangerBernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... , Mark RoeMark Roe Mark Adrian Roe is an English professional golfer, best known for being disqualified from the 2003 Open Championship for a scorecard error.... |
|
| 20 | 8 Apr 1990 | Masters Tournament | Playoff | Raymond Floyd Raymond Floyd Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.... |
|
| 21 | 22 Jul 1990 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
5 strokes | Mark McNulty Mark McNulty Mark William McNulty is an Irish/Zimbabwean professional golfer currently playing on the Champions Tour. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, and cracked the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 83 weeks from 1987 to 1992.McNulty... , Payne StewartPayne Stewart William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.... |
|
| 22 | 23 Jun 1991 | Carroll's Irish Open | 3 strokes | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
|
| 23 | 7 Jun 1992 | Carroll's Irish Open | Playoff | Wayne Westner Wayne Westner Wayne Brett Westner is a South African golfer.Westner was born in Johannesburg. He turned professional in 1981 and has won several events in his home country, including two South African Opens. He spent many years on the European Tour where he won two tournaments and had a best Order of Merit... |
|
| 24 | 19 Jul 1992 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 stroke | John Cook John Cook (golfer) John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour.... |
|
| 25 | 2 Aug 1992 | Scandinavian Masters | 3 strokes | Robert Allenby Robert Allenby Robert Allenby is an Australian professional golfer.Allenby was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was from Leeds, England and emigrated to Australia as a young man.-Professional career:... , Peter BakerPeter Baker (golfer) Peter A. Baker is an English professional golfer.Baker was born in Shifnal, Shropshire, and currently lives near Wolverhampton. He learned golf at his father's nine hole Himley Hall course and was taught by Sandy Lyle's father Alex.... ,  Danny Mijovic,  Frank NobiloFrank Nobilo Frank Ivan Joseph Nobilo, CNZM is a professional golfer from New Zealand.Nobilo had a successful playing career, winning 15 pro tournaments around the world... , José María OlazábalJosé María Olazábal José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:... , Peter O'MalleyPeter O'Malley (golfer) Peter O'Malley is an Australian professional golfer.O'Malley was born in Bathurst, New South Wales. He won the Australian Junior Championship and the New Zealand Amateur Championship in 1986, and turned professional the following year. He has won several times on the PGA Tour of Australasia, but... |
|
| 26 | 13 Sep 1992 | GA European Open | 3 strokes |  Robert KarlssonRobert Karlsson Robert Karlsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and as of 2011 on the PGA Tour.-Career:... |
|
| 27 | 7 Feb 1993 | Johnnie Walker Classic Johnnie Walker Classic The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event... |
1 stroke | Colin Montgomerie |
|
| 28 | 4 Jul 1993 | Carroll's Irish Open | Playoff | José María Olazábal |
|
| 29 | 5 Jun 1994 | Alfred Dunhill Open | Playoff | Joakim Haeggman Joakim Haeggman Karl Sven Joakim Haeggman is a Swedish European Tour golfer. He turned professional in 1989 and won his place on the Tour at that year's qualifying school. He has won three events on the European Tour, and several other professional events... |
|
| 30 | 14 Apr 1996 | Masters Tournament | 5 strokes | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
Other wins (7)
- 1979 ICL International (South African TourSunshine TourThe Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
) - 1989 Suntory World Match Play Championship (England – not an official European Tour event at that time)
- 1990 Johnnie Walker ClassicJohnnie Walker ClassicThe Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event...
(Asia – the European Tour first sanctioned this event in 1992) - 1992 Toyota World Match Play Championship (England – not an official European Tour event at that time), Johnnie Walker World Golf ChampionshipJohnnie Walker World Golf ChampionshipThe Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship was a golf event held at the Tryall Golf Club in Jamaica from 1991 to 1995.The tournament was intended to be an official World Championship event to rival the four majors but was terminated after just five stagings....
(Jamaica – unofficial event) - 1994 Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge (South Africa – unofficial event)
- 1998 World Cup of Golf (with David CarterDavid Carter (golfer)David Malcolm Carter is an English golfer.Carter was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and represented his country of birth at junior level. He later moved to England and turned professional in 1989. After several visits to qualifying school he had his rookie season on the European Tour in 1995...
)
Wins (6)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 1987 Open Championship The 1987 Open Championship was the 116th Open Championship held from 16-19 July at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, Scotland. Nick Faldo won his first major championship by one stroke over Paul Azinger and Rodger Davis.-First round:-Second round:... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 shot deficit | −5 (68–69–71–71=279) | 1 stroke | Paul Azinger Paul Azinger Paul William Azinger is an American professional golfer and occasional on air golf analyst. He spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1994.-Early years:... , Rodger DavisRodger Davis Rodger Miles Davis is an Australian professional golfer.Davis was born in Sydney. He turned professional in 1974 and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1990 and 1991... |
| 1989 1989 Masters Tournament The 1989 Masters Tournament was the 53rd Masters Tournament held from April 6-9 at Augusta National Golf Club. Nick Faldo won his first Masters championship and second major title with a birdie on the second sudden-death playoff hole over Scott Hoch. This tournament is well known for Hoch missing a... |
Masters Tournament | 5 shot deficit | −5 (68–73–77–65=283) | Playoff 1 | Scott Hoch Scott Hoch Scott Mabon Hoch is an American golfer, who represented his country in the Ryder Cup in 1997 and 2002.Hoch was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University before graduating in 1978. He also played on the winning U.S. team in the Eisenhower Trophy... |
| 1990 1990 Masters Tournament The 1990 Masters Tournament was the 54th Masters Tournament held from April 5-8 at Augusta National Golf Club. Nick Faldo won his second consecutive Masters championship and third major title on the second sudden-death playoff hole over Raymond Floyd.... |
Masters Tournament (2) | 3 shot deficit | −10 (71–72–66–69=278) | Playoff 2 | Raymond Floyd Raymond Floyd Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.... |
| 1990 1990 Open Championship The 1990 Open Championship was the 119th Open Championship held from 19-22 July at the Old Course at St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Nick Faldo won his second Open Championship, second major title of the year, and fourth major title overall by five strokes over Mark McNulty and Payne... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... (2) |
5 shot lead | −18 (67–65–67–71=270) | 5 strokes | Mark McNulty Mark McNulty Mark William McNulty is an Irish/Zimbabwean professional golfer currently playing on the Champions Tour. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, and cracked the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 83 weeks from 1987 to 1992.McNulty... , Payne StewartPayne Stewart William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.... |
| 1992 1992 Open Championship The 1992 Open Championship was the 121st Open Championship held from 16–19 July at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, Scotland. Nick Faldo won his third Open Championship and fifth overall major championship by one stroke over John Cook... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... (3) |
4 shot lead | −12 (66–64–69–73=272) | 1 stroke | John Cook John Cook (golfer) John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour.... |
| 1996 1996 Masters Tournament The 1996 Masters Tournament was the 60th Masters Tournament held from April 11-14 at Augusta National Golf Club. Nick Faldo won his third Masters championship and sixth overall major championship by five strokes over Greg Norman... |
Masters Tournament (3) | 6 shot deficit | −12 (69–67–73–67=276) | 5 strokes | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
1 Defeated Scott Hoch in sudden death playoff – Faldo (5–3=8), Hoch (5–4=9)
2 Defeated Raymond Floyd in sudden death playoff – Faldo (4–4=8), Floyd (4–5=9)
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | 40 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T28 | T62 | T7 | T19 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | T20 | T15 | T25 | DNP | DNP | T30 | 1 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T55 | DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 | T18 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T12 | T11 | T4 | T8 | T6 | T53 | 5 | 1 | 3 | T11 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | T14 | CUT | T20 | T54 | CUT | T28 | T4 | T9 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | 1 | T12 | T13 | T39 | 32 | T24 | 1 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T3 | T16 | T4 | T72 | CUT | T45 | T16 | T48 | CUT | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 | T17 | 1 | 2 | T8 | T40 | 4 | T51 | T44 | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T19 | T16 | T2 | 3 | T4 | T31 | T65 | CUT | T54 | T41 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T28 | CUT | T14 | T33 | CUT | WD | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
7 | T72 | T5 | CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T41 | CUT | T59 | T8 | CUT | T11 | CUT | CUT | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T51 | T51 | T60 | DNP | T49 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 2010 |
|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP |
DNP = did not play
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Team appearances
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
(representing GB & Ireland / Europe): 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985 (winners), 1987 (winners), 1989 (tied match and retained trophy), 1991, 1993, 1995 (winners), 1997 (winners), 2008 (non-playing captain) - Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill CupThe Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
(representing England): 1985, 1986, 1987 (winners), 1988, 1991, 1993 - World CupWGC-World CupThe World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...
(representing England): 1977, 1991, 1998 (winners) - UBS CupUBS CupThe UBS Cup was a team golf tournament contested by the United States and a team representing the "Rest of the World" which ran from 2001 to 2004. Six golfers on each side had to be 50 or over, and the remaining six had to be in their forties. It was sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the European...
: 2001, 2002, 2003 - Double Diamond: 1977
- Four Tours World Championship: 1986, 1987, 1990
- Hennessy Cognac Cup: 1978 (winners), 1980 (winners), 1982 (winners), 1984 (winners)
- Royal TrophyRoyal TrophyThe Royal Trophy is a men's professional team golf tournament which was played for the first time in January 2006 at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. The competing teams represent Europe and Asia. Eight man teams play a series of 16 matches involving foursomes, four-ball and...
(representing Europe): 20062006 Royal TrophyThe 2006 Royal Trophy was the first edition of The Royal Trophy, a team golf event contested between teams representing Asia and Europe. It was held from 7–8 January at the Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand...
(winners) - Seve TrophySeve TrophyThe Seve Trophy is a biennial golf tournament between teams of professional male golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It is named after five times major winner Seve Ballesteros, the most successful golfer ever from Continental Europe who was one of the key...
: 20072007 Seve TrophyThe 2007 Seve Trophy took place between 27-30 September at The Heritage Golf & Spa Resort in the Republic of Ireland. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Nick Faldo, with the captain for Continental Europe being Seve Ballesteros...
(non-playing captain – winners)
See also
- Golfers with most major championship wins
- Golfers with most PGA Tour winsGolfers with most PGA Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won five or more official money events on the PGA Tour.Players under 50 years of age are shown in bold. On his 50th birthday a golfer becomes eligible to compete on the Champions Tour, and he is unlikely to add to his tally of PGA Tour wins after that date This is...
- Golfers with most European Tour winsGolfers with most European Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won eight or more events on the European Tour since it was established in 1972. There are some complications in preparing such a list, and different publications have produced different numbers...
- List of World Number One male golfers
- List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards