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Nick Faldo

1987 / Muirfield

Since Henry Cotton had won his third and last Open title in 1948 at Muirfield, the East Lothian course had seen Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson claim the Claret Jug on its fabled links.

In 1987, Nick Faldo not only finally broke through to become a major winner, but he also secured the first of three Open titles that established the Englishman as the finest home player since Cotton.

But what was extraordinary about Faldo’s victory was the manner of it – with 18 pars on a final day when the course was shrouded in a misty haar.

Though it sounds singularly unexciting, there were moments of real drama, not least when he hit a superb 30-yard bunker shot to four feet at the eighth. Whenever he needed to save himself, he did. The same could not be said for the others.

Paul Azinger, an American playing links golf in Britain for the first time, had led after 36 and 54 holes. With a round to play he was one ahead of Faldo and David Frost but at the turn he was three in front. Azinger dropped shots at the 10th and 11th holes but was still one ahead with two to play.

A poor drive at the 17th, which finished in a fairway bunker, led to a six at the par-5. At the same time, Faldo was two-putting from 40 feet at the last, holing from four feet for his 18th par of the day.

Faldo only became the Champion Golfer when Azinger followed his bogey at the 17th with another at the last. Finding a greenside bunker, the American left himself with a long par-putt which missed.

Having rebuilt his swing with coach David Leadbetter in the previous two years, Faldo now had proof his game could withstand the greatest pressure.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Sir Nick FALDO
Champion Golfer
1
68
69
71
71
279
-
Paul AZINGER
2
68
68
71
73
280
-
Rodger DAVIS
2
64
73
74
69
280
-
Ben CRENSHAW
4
73
68
72
68
281
-
Payne STEWART
4
71
66
72
72
281
-
David FROST
6
70
68
70
74
282
-
Tom WATSON
7
69
69
71
74
283
-
Craig STADLER
8
69
69
71
75
284
-
Ian WOOSNAM
8
71
69
72
72
284
-
Nick PRICE
8
68
71
72
73
284
-
Hal SUTTON
11
71
70
73
71
285
-
Mark CALCAVECCHIA
11
69
70
72
74
285
-
Jose Maria OLAZABAL
11
70
73
70
72
285
-
Mark MCNULTY
11
71
69
75
70
285
-
Graham MARSH
11
69
70
72
74
285
-
Masashi OZAKI
11
69
72
71
73
285
-
Eamonn DARCY
17
74
69
72
71
286
-
Ken BROWN
17
69
73
70
74
286
-
Lee TREVINO
17
67
74
73
72
286
-
Mark ROE
17
74
68
72
72
286
-
Wayne GRADY
17
70
71
76
69
286
-
Sandy LYLE
17
76
69
71
70
286
-
Bernhard LANGER
17
69
69
76
72
286
-
Ray FLOYD
17
72
68
70
76
286
-
Gerard TAYLOR
25
69
68
75
75
287
-
Gordon BRAND JR
26
73
70
75
70
288
-
Larry MIZE
26
68
71
76
73
288
-
David FEHERTY
26
74
70
77
67
288
-
Fuzzy ZOELLER
29
71
70
76
72
289
-
Danny EDWARDS
29
71
73
72
73
289
-
Lanny WADKINS
29
72
71
75
71
289
-
Anders FORSBRAND
29
73
69
73
74
289
-
Ken GREEN
29
67
76
74
72
289
-
David GRAHAM
34
69
73
78
70
290
-
Greg NORMAN
35
71
71
74
75
291
-
Jay HAAS
35
69
74
76
72
291
-
Ross DRUMMOND
35
79
66
77
69
291
-
Manuel CALERO
35
71
74
75
71
291
-
Bob TWAY
35
67
72
75
77
291
-
Gordon J. BRAND
40
72
72
74
74
292
-
Derrick COOPER
40
74
72
78
68
292
-
Fred COUPLES
40
70
74
78
70
292
-
Andy BEAN
40
70
73
75
74
292
-
Ossie MOORE
44
71
72
76
74
293
-
Fulton ALLEM
44
74
69
77
73
293
-
Brian MARCHBANK
44
72
72
76
73
293
-
Carl MASON
44
70
69
78
76
293
-
Larry NELSON
48
70
75
76
73
294
-
John SLAUGHTER
48
72
71
76
75
294
-
Philip WALTON
50
72
73
75
75
295
-
Sam TORRANCE
50
76
69
77
73
295
-
Seve BALLESTEROS
50
73
70
77
75
295
-
Mats LANNER
50
71
74
79
71
295
-
Billy ANDRADE
54
74
69
78
75
296
-
Roger CHAPMAN
54
70
73
79
74
296
-
John O'LEARY
54
71
73
79
73
296
-
Ove SELLBERG
57
71
72
78
76
297
-
Paul MAYO
57
72
70
75
80
297
-
Tsuneyuki NAKAJIMA
59
73
72
77
76
298
-
Bill MCCOLL
59
71
75
77
75
298
-
Brian JONES
59
73
72
80
73
298
-
Howard CLARK
62
72
73
78
76
299
-
Scott SIMPSON
62
75
71
82
71
299
-
Miguel MARTIN
62
74
71
77
77
299
-
Neil HANSEN
62
75
69
80
75
299
-
Brandel CHAMBLEE
66
73
72
77
78
300
-
Mark O'MEARA
66
73
72
82
73
300
-
Gary PLAYER
66
72
74
79
75
300
-
Tateo OZAKI
66
72
73
78
77
300
-
Hugh BAIOCCHI
66
72
73
78
77
300
-
Wayne WESTNER
71
71
75
84
71
301
-
Tom KITE
72
73
72
81
76
302
-
Jack NICKLAUS
72
74
71
81
76
302
-
Jeff HAWKES
74
71
74
80
78
303
-
Ricky WILLISON
75
75
71
83
76
305
-
Chris MOODY
76
76
70
81
79
306
-
David JONES
77
72
74
83
78
307
-
Anthony STEVENS
78
71
75
82
84
312
-
Jim THORPE
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew SHERBORNE
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Des SMYTH
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Barry LANE
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
David GILFORD
M/C
70
77
-
-
-
M/C
Malcolm MACKENZIE
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
Gavin LEVENSON
M/C
75
72
-
-
-
M/C
Masahiro KURAMOTO
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Christy O'CONNOR JR
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Mark JAMES
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Vaughan SOMERS
M/C
76
72
-
-
-
M/C
Bernard GALLACHER
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Peter HARRISON
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
Mitch ADCOCK
M/C
77
71
-
-
-
M/C
Paul THOMAS
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Russell WEIR
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
Michael KING
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Manuel PINERO
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Roger WINCHESTER
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
Philip PARKIN
M/C
77
71
-
-
-
M/C
Magnus PERSSON
M/C
72
77
-
-
-
M/C
Anders SORENSEN
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Teddy WEBBER
M/C
77
72
-
-
-
M/C
Paul WAY
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
Tony CHARNLEY
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
Ian MOSEY
M/C
77
72
-
-
-
M/C
Vicente FERNANDEZ
M/C
78
71
-
-
-
M/C
Ian YOUNG
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew OLDCORN
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
Davis LOVE III
M/C
72
77
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen MCALLISTER
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
Adam J HUNTER
M/C
77
73
-
-
-
M/C
Ian BAKER-FINCH
M/C
74
76
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen BENNETT
M/C
71
79
-
-
-
M/C
Johan RYSTROM
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Jose RIVERO
M/C
76
74
-
-
-
M/C
Corey PAVIN
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Bill LONGMUIR
M/C
79
71
-
-
-
M/C
David CURRY
M/C
80
71
-
-
-
M/C
Tze Chung CHEN
M/C
78
73
-
-
-
M/C
Chen Tze MING
M/C
78
73
-
-
-
M/C
Denis DURNIAN
M/C
72
79
-
-
-
M/C
Paul KENT
M/C
73
78
-
-
-
M/C
Robert LEE
M/C
74
77
-
-
-
M/C
Bill MALLEY
M/C
78
74
-
-
-
M/C
Jim HALLET
M/C
75
77
-
-
-
M/C
Mike HARWOOD
M/C
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
Paul CARRIGILL
M/C
78
74
-
-
-
M/C
Jose Maria CANIZARES
M/C
72
80
-
-
-
M/C
Peter SENIOR
M/C
74
78
-
-
-
M/C
David LLEWELLYN
M/C
77
75
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew BROOKS
M/C
78
74
-
-
-
M/C
Ronan RAFFERTY
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
John BLAND
M/C
79
74
-
-
-
M/C
Martin POXON
M/C
77
76
-
-
-
M/C
David RAY
M/C
78
75
-
-
-
M/C
Steven CIPA
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Christian HARDIN
M/C
73
80
-
-
-
M/C
Arnold PALMER
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Keith HIRD
M/C
75
79
-
-
-
M/C
Steven BOTTOMLEY
M/C
81
73
-
-
-
M/C
Jerry ANDERSON
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
Eoghan O'CONNELL
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
John AMBRIDGE
M/C
75
80
-
-
-
M/C
Mark WILTSHIRE
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
Freddy GEORGE
M/C
74
81
-
-
-
M/C
Jeremy ROBINSON
M/C
77
78
-
-
-
M/C
John CLIFFORD
M/C
82
74
-
-
-
M/C
Martin GRAY
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Per-Arne BROSTEDT
M/C
74
84
-
-
-
M/C
David JONES
M/C
80
78
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen HAMER
M/C
81
78
-
-
-
M/C
Geoff TICKELL
M/C
78
82
-
-
-
M/C
Craig PARRY
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
Peter JACOBSEN
Wd
81
-
-
-
-
M/C

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