European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 10,1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 23adios 54th masters from Page 21 runners playing the game. There was plenty to think about. One shot. From 1985 through Early 1987, Faldo remodeler his swing with the help of teaching guru David Leadbetter and thousands of hours of practice. But riddled with doubt he returned to the old one whenever he Felt his Collar tightening. He lost tournaments and sponsors. But worst of All he lost respect. Faldo was a Tel Foldoe in the newspapers and on the practice tee some pros who saw him struggling pronounced the Experiment a failure. On sunday Faldo was paired with the charismatic Nicklaus and the size of the stage was testing his nerves. He is one of the most deliberate golfers Ever a if truth be told excruciatingly slow a and when he won the British open in 1987 by making 18 straight pars in the wet and cold of Mirfield on the final Day it Only confirmed Many Peoples opinion of him As Little More than a plodding technician. He carded double bogey right out of the Box. Missed easy birdies at nos. 3 and 4, but never came unhinged and reached the turn in 1-under 35. After that the Ball at 12 floated out of the Sand and his 15-foot comeback putt for Par teetered at the Edge until a i yelled at the top of my voice a go a a a Faldo said with a smile a and the Ball proved it had Good ears a a that a when i thought a you never know a that might be the one that starts it  a rejuvenated and taking bigger risks As he went along Faldo ran off three birdies Over the next six holes and paired the final two. Then he sat in the scorers tent and watched Floyd line up a 6-footer at a no. 18 to determine whether he had to go to a playoff. And waited. One shot. In 1989, Faldo went into a playoff with Scott Hoch and dropped his approach at no. 10, the first extra Hole into a Bunker. He used three More strokes to get up and Down but Hoch missed that infamous Par putt of just 2lh feet. Thus pardoned Faldo drained a putt 10 times that length at the next Hole to win his first masters. On sunday he went into a playoff with Floyd wanting this one More than the first but with a nagging feeling that he owed the course one. Instead he needed just two to finish from the same Bunker at 10, and let out his breath when at the 11th, steady Ray Floyd dumped his second shot into the drink and Faldo had his second Green  from Page 21 Ray Floyd misses Birdie putt on 15 sunday sure thing eludes reformed Gambler by John Eisenberg Baltimore Sun Augusta a. A he decided to take the Gamble out of his game after making a Birdie putt from off the Green on the i2th Hole. Raymond Floyd had a four stroke Lead with six holes remaining at that Point in the fourth round of the masters on sunday. A i did no to think i could lose a a he said. Ordinarily he never resorts to defense. Hitting Safe conservative shots runs a against my nature a a he said. Since the Day he turned professional 27 years ago Floyd has had a reputation As a Gambler one who will take a Chance Over the water hit the putt boldly try the shots that cower others. It is his ego his self Confidence. He believes. Such forwardness had made this his masters through 66 holes. He was 11-under-Par and showing no signs of faltering. He Wasny to acting his age. In other words. At 47 years 7 months and 4 Days old he was playing Young Many a Golf and was on the verge of becoming the oldest player to win the masters. A it would have been a wild dream come True a he said. As the corridors of tall Pines began to cast Long shadows on the Back nine at Augusta National sunday however Floyd retreated. He decided he would take no More risks. None. He was not going to give away the tournament As so Many before him have done on the Back nine late sunday afternoon. A it was the thing to do Quot he said. A no one was making a run at me. My pars were holding the Lead. That dictated pay. A i figured that if i parred in someone had to shoot 31 5-under on the Back nine to catch me. The chances of that weren to too Good. I  thus on the Par-5 13th, he did not attempt to Clear the Creek in front of the Green in two shots. That is How he had won the masters in 1976, when he played the courses four Par-5 holes in 15-under. And that is How he had built his Lead this time. He gambled Over the water on 13 in each of the first three rounds winding up with two birdies. On sunday he was 215 Yards from the Green after his drive. He stood in the Middle of the Fairway looked Down at his perfect lie squinted up into the Sun and knew he could carry the water. But he did not try. A i could easily have gone for it but did no to Quot he said. Nick Faldo playing in front of him. Cleared the water in two and birdied to Cut the Lead to three strokes. One Hole later. Floyd did it again. On the Par-5 15th, which he had birdied in each of the first three rounds he again chose not to play Over the water on his second shot even though he was again in reasonable Range. He played up. Chipped Over the water and two putted for Par. Faldo again cleared the water in two and made a Birdie putt. Floyd a Lead was Down to two strokes and suddenly the masters was a tournament not just a Victory tour. Floyd no longer had a Cushion. No longer could he hit a poor shot without consequence. His defense had Cost him dearly. The momentum now belonged to Faldo the englishman who proceeded to sink a 15-foot Birdie putt on 16 to Cut the Lead to one stroke. Even then though Floyd still believed. Such is the strength of his Sel Confidence. A i was in control Quot he said. And indeed he was not playing poorly. Not hitting the shots normally associated with Back nine sunday collapses. His drives were Long his putts right at the Hole. His Only sin was giving Faldo a Chance to catch him. It is a sin he will Rue for years. Yes. For on the Fairway of the Par-4 17th, Floyd finally hit a shot belonging to a Man who won a major championship 21 years ago. He pulled a 4-Iron left of its target the Ball Landing far out on a Little Knob far from the cup and rolling 50 feet away. Three putts later Floyd and Faldo were lied. Others will remember that Floyd parred no. 18 even though he hit into two bunkers and that he had a 15-foot putt to win on the first Hole of his playoff with Faldo but left it 6 inches Short a i was sure it was in. But it just died Quot he said. Others also will remember that he blew the tournament by pulling another Iron on the second Hole on the playoff this one a 7-Iron that landed with a crowd quieting splash in the pretty Little Pond in front of the Green. What Floyd no doubt will remember most from this tournament though is the Way the scoreboard talked him into not being himself on the Back nine sunday. Into playing it Safe on holes he had terrorized for years. Quot if j could go Back. I would do it again Quot he insisted but one wonders How Long he will continue believing that. Final round leaders cards Augusta. A. Apr cards of the leaders Aher sunday s final round of the 54th masters tournament at the 6.905-Yard, Par-72 Augusta National Goll club course woul 454 343 454�?35 a run a a a a anything affect me like this. Winning Floyd said a would have meant so much. Have he a May to at stage of my career. It would Nave been a wild dream come  Ninfi we Lafr a a it fers were factors in a final round that produced few birdies and Faldo aside few major  Yat Are 50�?T began the final round 5 a sad a i be had f1�yd�?Ts Lead never and than four ssi run or 3n? Nexer closer to the Lead Oins to i. Frog for birdies and aiming for to in huh i a eyes on three of the final six holes to Tumble Back to 3-under and sixth place. Ewing a a 8et hat Many an Hess was t downcast about his finish though. To Pom t 3 group porters he turned and said ii h u a prepare for a senior  Al. A wpil0 Eire stances Floyd  be so Jovi a week he had said he was pleased to be among Par out Faldo out Floyd out 644 343 353�?35 Faldo in 454 353 444�?36 Floyd in 443 545 344�?36�?72�?258 543 444 244�?34 �?69�?270 442 545 354 �?36�?72�?278 the leaders and surprised by his position considering that he had Given his Golf game a lower priority Over the last 18 months to concentrate on his duties last year As Captain of the . Ryder cup team. Throughout the front nine he continued to go along with a minimum of pressure on his game. Huston a masters Rookie finally faded in a Hale of bogeys. Nicklaus could do no better than Par and was five behind Floyd at the turn. Even Faldo who was three behind Floyd at the Start of the third round seemed considerably less a Factor after a double bogey on the first Hole dropped him five behind Floyd. On the Back nine All that changed. Faldor a remarkable run actually be an with a Par at the Par-3 12th Hole. He put his tee Ball in the worst of positions a buried in the Bunker behind the shallow Green a but played a feathery Sand shot to 20 feet and Sank the Par putt a i thought i could play a career shot and still Knock it m the water a Faldo said. He was so sure he had left the Par put Short that he yelled a at the lop of my voice for the Ball to go a few More turns. It obliged. A Good ears that Ball a Faldo said. From there Faldo was in full stride. He reached both Back nine Par-5s a nos. 13 and 15 a in two shots and extracted birdies from both. On the Par-3 16th, he rolled in a 15-footer to go to 10-under, and he became a co Leader when Floyd three Pul cd the 17th, missing the last from about 3 feet. Floyd who had played on the conservative Side seemed unsure exactly where his Lead had gone. A a what happened i think is that nobody Ever came running at me and that dictated play a said Floyd who would have notched his fifth major with a Victory Here. A i started playing for Par. I did no to do it purposely. But it was a natural thing to  when Floyd finally turned on the jets it was too late. And too left. Three times on the final holes Floyd made costly mistakes by pulling shots. He pulled his second shot on the 17th, and that led to a three putt. He pulled his drive slightly at the 18th Hole and that landed him in a Bunker. Floyd a second shot at the finishing Hole landed in a greenside Bunker and he had to sink a 3-foot Par putt just to tie Faldo and get into a playoff. Floyd a most costly pull though was his last. There was no Way to recover from the watery second shot that decided the playoff