By Garry Smits
Morris News Service

The hole they call ``Golden Bell'' tolled the end to Greg Norman's chances to win the Masters Tournament.

For the third consecutive time Sunday, Norman flirted with danger on the 12th hole, named, like all holes at the Augusta National Golf Club, for the plants, tree or flowers growing around it.

He had escaped twice previously, but the treacherous little par-3 fronted by Rae's Creek took the last of his hefty Masters lead away and opened the door for Nick Faldo to take over.

The double bogey for Norman and a par by Faldo broke a tie for the lead at 9-under par, and Faldo went on to shoot 67 and win his third Masters by five shots over Norman with a 12-under par 276. Norman ended at 7-under 281.

Norman's 7-iron shot at 155 yards away came up short when he aimed at a right rear pin placement. The ball bounced on the bank and fell back quickly into the creek. After hitting a sand wedge to within 10 feet, Norman two-putted. Faldo, safely on from 20 feet away, parred the hole, and the two-shot swing gave Faldo an edge he would never relinquish.

``I pushed it,'' Norman said of the tee shot. ``I wasn't trying to hit at the flag, but I pushed it just enough to carry it right.''

It was a case of walking into harm's way once too often. Friday, Norman came up short and the ball stopped on the bank just a foot from the water's edge. He chipped up and made par.

Saturday, cruising along while the rest of the field struggled, Norman found the water when a gust of wind knocked his shot down. He chipped up to about the same distance he had yesterday but made the putt for bogey.

Norman still wouldn't characterize the 12th hole as being the difference.

``The first four holes were shots that just came up around 2 feet short,'' Norman said of the start of his round. ``My (second shot) at No. 9, the chip at No. 10 .ƒ.ƒ. they were shots I was thinking about. It was in the lap of the Gods.''