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Faldo repeats as Floyd fades
Third straight win for Britain.
By David Westin
Staff Writer
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 9, 1990 -- The same script as a year ago, with only a few slight revisions and one name change, was played out in dramatic fashion on the Augusta National on Sunday as England's Nick Faldo successfully defended his Masters championship.
``I really feel as if I made history this time,'' said Faldo, who is now 10-under-par in the final rounds of the last two Masters.
With a par on the second hold of sudden death, Faldo defeated Raymond Floyd to run the streak of British winners in the Masters to three.
Before Faldo, only Jack Nicklaus, in 1965-1966, had ever won back-to-back titles in the Masters, which has been contested for 54 years. Ironically, Nicklaus, who at age 50 shot a 74 and finished sixth, was Faldo's playing partner Sunday.
Faldo, 32, has now won three major championships - two Masters and a British Open. He called Sunday's win his ``best ever.''
Just as he had done last year, Faldo won the tournament despite the fact he never led during regulation play and started shaky. And once again, the victory came when the Englishman prevailed on the second hole of the sudden-death, No. 11.
Floyd, who at 47 was trying to turn back the clock and become the oldest Masters champion, played the role of victim this year. Scott Hoch filled that role last year.
``I think maybe No. 11 is my hole,'' said Faldo, who shot 10-under-par 278, the lowest winning total since 1984 when Ben Crenshaw has 277.
For Faldo, who opened with rounds of 71-72-66 and closed with a 69, the victory was worth $225,000. Floyd, who had a 72 Sunday after rounds of 70-68-68, earned $135,000.
On a day that was perfect for scoring, Lanny Wadkins (68) and Masters rookie John Huston (75) tied for third place at 283. Fred Couples (69) was fifth at 284.
Nicklaus, who started the day five strokes behind Floyd, pulled to within three strokes on the backside before fading with bogeys 14, 16 and 17. He finished with a round of 74 for a 285 and sixth place.
Faldo, who won with a birdie in the playoff last year, needed just a par this year and a bogey might have even done the trick. Floyd, hitting first from the fairway, put his approach shot on the par-4 hole into the lateral water hazard.
The shot ``was in the water as soon as it left my club,'' said Floyd, who pulled a number of other crucial shots in the final holes.
After Faldo two-putted from 18 feet for par on No. 11, Floyd, who was looking at a medium range putt for bogey, was eliminated.
Afterward, an emotional Floyd, a veteran of 26 Masters and the 1976 Masters champion, called the loss ``the most devastating thing that has happened in my career.
``I don't think I've ever had anything affect me like this,'' said Floyd, a non-winner since 1986.'' At this stage in my career, you don't know if you'll get another chance.''
Down by four shots to Floyd with six holes to play in regulation, Faldo reeled of birdie on Nos. 13, 15 and 16.
Playing one group ahead of Floyd, Faldo caught the third-round leader when Floyd three-putted the 17th hole from 50 feet, missing an 8-footer for par. Both men made par at the 18th hole, Faldo two-putting from 12 feet from off the back of the green and Floyd making a fabulous par after being bunkered twice. Floyd had to make a 5-footer to save par.
``This is obviously a very emotional one for me,'' Faldo said of the victory. You can't imagine the feeling I had walking down No. 10 playing exactly the way I did in the playoff last year. I had mixed feeling all the time. I thought, `does this mean I'm going to be done in after I got away with it last time? I had to stick in there, I didn't want to give it away.''
Just as he had done on the first playoff hole last year, Faldo hit a marginal drive and left himself a 176-yard approach shot to the green from a hanging lie. And in another repeat of history, Faldo's shot found the right greenside bunker. He had bogeyed from there in 1989 to stay alive against Hoch, who missed a 2 1/2-foot putt.
This year, he had to get up-and-down for par to tie Floyd, who had hit the green in regulation. Faldo did that by sinking a 4-footer after a splendid blast from the bunker. Floyd, meanwhile, had two-putted from 8 feet. The birdie attempt shocked Floyd when he came up short.
``When I hit that putt, believe me, I thought I'd made it,'' Floyd said. ``I don't know if there was dew on the ground because it was late in the day, but it just quit going when it got near the hole. It wasn't even near the hole.''
A 15-footer to save par on No. 12 gave Faldo the impetus to begin to shake the nerves that had contributed to a double-bogey on the first hole.
``When I holed that putt, I thought `you never know, that might be the one,'' said Faldo.
Nicklaus said Faldo thought he'd missed the putt when he hit it.
``He said, `Oh Nick, not again,'' and the ball fell in the hole.''
``I was watching him and his reaction after he hit the putt was that he'd missed it,'' said Floyd.
It wasn't until Faldo birdied the 15th hole to move to within two shots of Floyd that he felt he could win.
``I was nervous until then,'' Faldo said. ``I knew from the start of the day, it was on. After the 15th, I felt good, I thought I could do it.''
``It looked like he was always on the edge,'' said Nicklaus. ``When he holed that putt on No. 15, all of a sudden he got relaced and got relaxed an got very positive. The next three holes he played very well.''
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