Nick Faldo: Six Majors and Golf's Most Disciplined Swing
Nick Faldo won six major championships by making one of the most disciplined decisions in golf history: at age 27, already a successful European Tour player, he decided his swing was not good enough to win major championships under final-round pressure and spent 18 months rebuilding it from the ground up with coach David Leadbetter. The rebuilt swing won three Open Championships and three Masters titles. The decision to dismantle what was working to build something better is the defining act of his story.
The Swing Rebuild: 1984-1985
Leadbetter's approach focused on body rotation, plane geometry, and the elimination of the hand manipulation that Faldo's previous swing relied on under pressure. The 18-month process required Faldo to perform worse in tournaments while the new mechanics were integrated — his results declined, his peers were skeptical, and the European Tour golf world watched with mixed feelings. Faldo continued. His first major came in 1987.
Muirfield 1987: 18 Consecutive Pars
Faldo won his first Open Championship at Muirfield in 1987 by making 18 consecutive pars in the final round — no birdies, no bogeys, absolute mechanical precision while competitors made mistakes around him. It is the purest single-round expression of what the rebuilt swing was designed to do.
The Masters Victories
Faldo won the Masters in 1989 (playoff over Scott Hoch, who missed a two-foot putt on the first playoff hole), 1990 (playoff over Ray Floyd), and 1996, when he started the final round six shots behind Greg Norman and shot 67 while Norman shot 78 — the most dramatic front-to-back reversal in Masters history. His embrace of Norman on the 18th green after that round is one of the most remembered images in Augusta National history.
Broadcasting Career
Faldo's post-playing career as a CBS golf analyst made him as well-known to American golf audiences as his playing career had. His analytical style — precise, sometimes blunt, occasionally controversial — reflected the same qualities that defined his playing: exactitude over sentiment. He departed CBS in 2022 after 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many majors did Nick Faldo win?
Nick Faldo won six major championships: three Open Championships (1987, 1990, 1992) and three Masters titles (1989, 1990, 1996). He is the most successful European player in major championship history.