IT was a year later than expected, but Nick Faldo got his reward yesterday for a decision to make his future in American golf. From the moment he returned full time to the American circuit at the beginning of 1995, he had always insisted that the move was aimed at achieving there major triumphs.
Now he has been thoroughly vindicated by becoming the first European in the modern era to win six major titles, securing a third Masters to add to his British Open victories of 1987, 1990 and 1992.
With the third day ended strokes ahead of him at the top of the leader board, Faldo was probably the only person here who genuinely believed he could still win.
In fact he was determined not to waste any time in discussing the ins and outs of the third round with his inquisitors from the media "I'm heading for the practice ground, gentlemen.
The Masters has always been very special to this tall, enigmatic Englishman who was born on July 18th, 1957, in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. His destiny was charted by a magnetic image on the television in 1272 It was Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters for a fourth time and, instinctively, Faldo knew that he wanted to tread that path, he wanted to be one of the greatest players in the world.
Now, though no longer the world's number one, he is universally regarded as an example of the ultimate professional. In a way, there was an inevitability about such an outcome from the time he discarded cycling as a passion when he was 14 and applied the same enthusiasm to golf.
When he won the first of his PGA Championship titles at Royal Birkdale in 1978, Sir Henry Cotton remarked "Here is a true champion in the making." Interestingly, 14 years later, Faldo had emulated Cotton by capturing the British Open for a third time at Muirfield.
His major successes have owed much to a remarkable relationship with the Orlando based coach, David Leadbetter. Stung by the victory of his teenage rival, Sandy Lyle, in the British Open at Royal St George's in 1985, he concluded that his game would need to be totally overhauled if he were to make an impact in the major championships.
It was a painful transition which cost him dearly, not only in terms of long hours of application on the practice ground, but in terms of greatly reduced tournament earnings. But Faldo's resolve never weakened and in a remarkable climax to the 1987 British Open at Muirfield, he carded 18 successive birdies to snuff out the challenge of a youthful Paul Azinger.
He was also responsible for lending enormous prestige to the Irish Open by winning a hat trick of titles at Killarney in 1991 and 1992 and at Mount Juliet in 1993. Perhaps typically, two of them were in play offs and there was particularly special appeal to the Mount Juliet triumph, for the manner in which he beat Jose Maria Olazabal with a glorious putt of 12 feet on the 18th.
He departed Europe as a regular competitor having won 29 tournaments. And his victory at Doral last year was his 37th worldwide. But from the time he broke through at Muirfield in 1987 his raisom d'etre became the major championships. So, the New World beckoned.
Effectively, Europe's loss has been America's gain. As a consequence of committing himself to the US Tour last year, he played only three events on the European Tour, finishing 12th in the Volvo PGA Championship, second to Wayne Riley in the Scottish Open at Carnoustie and sharing 39th place in the British Open. Indeed his best performance in a major last season was a decidedly moderate share of 24th place behind Ben Crenshaw at Augusta.
But his competitive qualities were never in doubt, even if his putting sometimes left a lot to b9 desired. The point gained rich emphasis in the white heat of Ryder Cup battle at Oak Hill last September when he won the pivotal match against Curtis Strange, coming from one down with three to play, to win on the 18th with a stunning, 93 yards wedge shot, followed by a four foot putt for par.
Tears flowed freely as the trophy was captured. And it was a particularly poignant moment for Faldo's second wife, Jill. By that stage, negotiations were already advanced for the couple's divorce. Indeed the story of his love affair with a 21 year old American college student, Brenna Cepelak, became a cause celebre in the British tabloids.
For that, among other reasons, it was felt that his chances of success at Augusta this year had been greatly inhibited. There was also his missed cut in the Players' Championship at Sawgrass three weeks ago when he complained of back spasm after shooting rounds of 70 and 75.
Faldo clearly loves Augusta. That much is reflected in an amazing record whereby, even when his game was going through a transition stage, he still managed to make the cut this year his 13th and in hi comments last week it became clear that tat of the place hadn't diminished.
It is a difficult course which demands enormous patience of those who would prosper on it. Therein lies one of the great Faldo strengths. That was the reason he was able to face the final round yesterday convinced that there was still a chance of success.
His remarkable tenacity meant that he ultimately joined an elite group of five players who stand, apart in the history of this remarkable event. They are the players who have succeeded in winning the Masters more than twice Jimmy Demaret, Gary Player and Sam Snead with three each Arnold Palmer with four and the true master of Augusta Jack Nicklaus with six.
