Norman Makes Big Splash; Faldo Wins

After Nick Faldo hit his tee shot into the water and bogeyed the 18th hole, all Greg Norman needed was a par to force a playoff.

Instead, “The Shark” sent his ball for a swim too.

Norman hooked his second shot 40 yards wide of the green and it splashed into the lake alongside the final hole at the Doral Ryder Open on Sunday.

“I walked off the green and expected to be in a playoff with Greg, then there was this quick groan when his ball went in the water,” Faldo said.

When Norman’s playing partner, Peter Jacobsen, barely missed a 75-foot birdie attempt on the same hole, Faldo had won his first tournament in the United States since the 1990 Masters and his first PGA Tour event since the 1984 Heritage Classic.

Faldo, playing the PGA Tour full time this year for the first time since 1989, had a three-under-par 69 for a four-day total of 15-under 273 to win by one stroke. His round included four birdies and the one bogey on No. 18--”a good ‘five’ ” he called it.

Leading by a stroke, Faldo drove his tee shot into the water and dropped a ball back on the fairway, 230 yards away. He then took out a three-wood, aimed for the left side of the green and hit it perfectly.

“I nailed it,” Faldo said. “I hit it 220 yards and I thought it would release another 10 yards. That’s what it did.”

Two putts later, Faldo had dropped into a tie with Norman, whose tee shot on the final hole rolled into the heavy rough. From 160 yards away, Norman hit a six-iron that was easily his worst shot of the tournament.

“I knew the shot was in the water as soon as I hit it. I felt the club twist in my hand,” Norman said. “There was a big clump of grass right behind the ball. It was just sitting in the wrong place.”

Norman made a long putt, but ended up taking his third bogey of the day after playing the first three rounds without one. He closed with a 73 for a total of 274.

Jacobsen had a chance to tie on the final green, but his long birdie try missed by about two inches. He also finished at 274 after a final-round 73.

“Having that putt on the last hole is what you always dream about,” said Jacobsen, who was trying for his third victory of the season. “You don’t expect it to go in, but it would be a storybook finish.”

Justin Leonard (68), Steve Elkington (69) and Davis Love III (71) finished tied for fourth at 276.

Faldo’s victory was worth $270,000--$45,000 more than he took home for winning the Masters in 1990.

In his previous four tournaments this season, Faldo’s best finish was a tie for ninth at Pebble Beach a month ago.

“This is exactly what I’ve been working for and what I wanted to do,” Faldo said.