Nick Faldo has revealed his plan to have his say on bitter comments made by Greg Norman, who said he had no respect for the three-time Masters champion and dubbed him a ‘loner’
17:14, 08 Apr 2026Updated 19:37, 08 Apr 2026
Sir Nick Faldo plans to respond to Greg Norman’s barbs, but not until after the Masters(Image: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Sir Nick Faldo says he will respond to the brutal comments made by Greg Norman after the conclusion of the Masters.
Sir Nick was dubbed a “loner” by former rival Norman, who launched a withering attack on the six-time major champion and said he has “no respect” for the Englishman. Norman also bemoaned his absence from the Masters, revealing that he did not receive an invitation from Augusta National. The club typically invites former major champions to attend the tournament.
Sir Nick spoke under the famous oak tree in front of Augusta National’s clubhouse, and said: “I’m going to release a statement on Monday out of respect for the tournament.”
READ MORE: ‘Loner’ Masters champion slammed by rival he beat and is not invited to AugustaREAD MORE: Greg Norman throws toys out of the pram in reaction to Masters snub
Sir Nick and Norman have a long history, most notably the 1996 Masters when the Aussie blew a six-shot lead on the final day to hand Faldo the title. In the aftermath, Faldo extended a warm embrace to Norman, which became one of the tournament’s enduring images.
But the 68-year-old was the target for numerous barbs in an interview Norman gave to The Telegraph ahead of the 90th edition of the Masters.
“You know, he was the one who came up to me, he’s the one who hugged me,” Norman said. “He’s the one who said, ‘Don’t let those b—— get to you.
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Norman claims Faldo’s hug in 1996 ‘didn’t mean that much to me'(Image: Getty Images)
“But it didn’t really mean much to me, because I knew he’d soon go back to being the way he was before. We never had any sort of relationship. We were chalk and cheese. He was a loner, I couldn’t be like him.”
Norman said he was particularly upset by Sir Nick’s reaction to the LIV Golf breakaway in 2022. “The Shark” was the Saudi-funded league’s commissioner and CEO, and Faldo was a staunch critic of the rebel circuit.
Norman, 71, fumed that Faldo did not contact him to discuss LIV and its aims before going on the record to blast the league. He labeled Faldo’s opinions on the subject “stupid.”
Norman made bitter comments about Faldo and the Masters after being snubbed for this year’s event(Image: Getty Images)
“Come on, we have a history; he could have called me and asked for the other side of the story, and I’d have gladly given it,” Norman said.
“And if he still hadn’t agreed then fine – his opinion and as he knows the facts, he would have been entitled to say anything he likes. Happy days.
“But just to sound off? Like I said, no respect for him. He still comes out with stuff that’s interestingly stupid, to be honest with you.”