Nick Faldo

Nicholas Alexander Faldo is an English professional golfer. He is fondly called “Nick” by his fans and friends. Playing in the European Tour, Faldo is deemed as one of the most successful golfers in Europe. He enjoyed the top spot in the World Golf Rankings for ninety-eight (98) weeks this year, 2008.

Nick Faldo was born in July 18, 1957, at the Welwyn Garden city in England. Towering at 6 feet 3 inches, the 195-pounder Englishman had an interesting start in golf; he discovered his love and his prowess for the sport after watching the Masters Tournament on television in 1971. He was so impressed with the form and play of golf pro Jack Nicklaus that he borrowed the golf clubs of his neighbor the very same day. Faldo was only 14 years old at the time. In 1975, at eighteen years old, Faldo finally competed and won the English Amateur and the British Youths Championship. He was then working as a carpet fitter. The very next year, he turned professional and enjoyed immediate success, bagging the 8th place on the European Tour Order of Merit in 1977, and ranking 3rd in 1978. At age 21 years old, he became the youngest golfer to play in the Ryder Cup in 1978.

The most impressive thing about Nick Faldo is that he had the maturity and the drive to improve his game. In the mid-1980s he sought the instruction of David Leadbetter to strengthen his prowess. The result paid off, as Faldo became the best golfer in the late 1980s through the early 1990s. He bagged six (6) professional major competitions and earned an impeccable reputation on the green as intimidating and well-composed even under extreme pressure.

Faldo has an impressive list of forty-three (43) wins on top of his championships in the Amateur category. He claimed the top rank in eight (8) PGA Tour events, five (5) of which are major championships. His European Tour wins number up to twenty-seven (27) victories, nine (9) of which are no.1 spots.

Faldo vowed out of competitions in 2007, after suffering severe criticism against his playing tactics. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1997, and was ranked the 18th greatest golfer of all time in 2000 by the Golf Digest magazine.