Greg Norman has unleashed a scathing verbal assault on three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo, branding the English golf legend a "loner" and dismissing his public comments as "interestingly stupid." The extraordinary broadside comes just days before the year's opening major championship at Augusta National, reigniting a bitter rivalry that dates back three decades.
A Historic Collapse and a Fraught Embrace
The origins of this feud trace back to one of golf's most dramatic and painful collapses. In the 1996 Masters, Greg Norman, known as "The Shark," entered the final round with a commanding six-shot lead over Nick Faldo. Yet, in a stunning reversal, Norman's game unravelled, allowing Faldo to seize the Green Jacket.
The moment that followed became iconic. Faldo approached his defeated rival and embraced him, offering words of consolation that were widely praised as a supreme act of sportsmanship. However, Norman now reveals a profoundly different perspective on that very gesture.
'A Very Narrow Window' into Faldo's Character
"What I got in those moments was a very narrow window into the other side of Nick Faldo," Norman told The Telegraph. "There is something about Nick. It's in him. There's the public side of Nick."
Norman elaborated, casting doubt on the sincerity of Faldo's famed sportsmanship. "You know, he was the one who came up to me, he's the one who hugged me. He's the one who said, 'Don't let those b******s get to you.' But it didn't really mean much to me, because I knew he'd soon go back to being the way he was before."
The Australian legend was blunt in his assessment of their relationship, or lack thereof. "We never had any sort of relationship. We were chalk and cheese. He was a loner, I couldn't be like him."
LIV Golf Comments Fuel the Fire
The animosity has been significantly exacerbated by Faldo's public criticism of Norman during the latter's tenure as CEO of the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. Norman expressed particular bitterness over these remarks.
"Nick said some things about me during my time at LIV, some really nasty things," Norman continued. "I don't have any respect for someone who gives their opinion on something in that sort of manner when they don't know both sides."
Norman argued that Faldo failed in basic professional courtesy. "Come on, we have a history, he could have called me and asked for the other side of the story and I'd have gladly given it. And if he still hadn't agreed then fine – his opinion and as he knows the facts, he would have been entitled to say anything he likes. Happy days. But just to sound off? Like I said, no respect for him. He still comes out with stuff that's interestingly stupid, to be honest with you."
Augusta Snub and Lingering Masters Pain
This public feud coincides with Norman's own estrangement from the Masters tournament. The 71-year-old has claimed he was not invited to Augusta National this year and has stated he has no intention of watching the event. This snub is widely perceived as a consequence of his leadership role with LIV Golf, which has been in a protracted conflict with the established PGA Tour.
The 1996 defeat was not Norman's only heartbreak at Augusta. A decade earlier, in 1986, he bogeyed the final hole to hand victory to the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Norman has since stepped down as LIV Golf CEO, succeeded by Scott O'Neill in January, and now sits on the committee for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
The renewed war of words between these two golfing titans adds a layer of intense historical drama to the upcoming Masters, reminding the sporting world of the deep personal and professional divisions that can linger long after the final putt drops.
