04/15/2026
SOME PEOPLE ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS WHEN FACING NERVES, OR WHEN THEY LOSE A TOURNAMENT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE WON:
Ben Hogan once said he had a nightmare in which shot 17 under in one round (would we think it was a nightmare? - let's read why: in his dream, he birdied the first 17 holes and lipped out for birdie on the last hole. He said he had that dream twice and could never make that last putt for a 54.
Trust me, I know. In my better days I've had 4 birdies in a row a few times, and I messed up the fifth, It stinks, especially if you give yourself a chance and then hit a bad putt. It is in your mind for days, and with me was especially painful because I did it in the New Mexico Open to catch the leader on the second round in the mid 80's at Rio Rancho C.C., then choked and made three bogeys, and then never gave myself a chance again. I know, it is not the same to miss a major, but for me that was "my major" and my nerves and lack of talent got the best of me.
So, I can only imagine a tour golfer who has a collapse in the last few holes and misses winning a tournament, or even a major because they could not control their nerves, especially if they never have that chance again. Only champions who have confidence in themselves, overcome that last collapse and come back and win their major or majors.
Ken Venturi let one go at the Masters as an amateur, then won the 1964 U.S. Open, on the other hand, Steve Hoch missed a 3 footer to win the Masters in the first playoff hole against Sir Nick Faldo in 1989 and was never close again. Palmer lost the 1961 Masters by one with a double bogey on #18 and then won the Masters in '62 and '64 and two British Open championships.
Doug Sanders missed a very short putt in the 72nd hole of the 1970 British Open for a win, then lost a playoff with Jack Nicklaus, Sanders was never that close again to winning a major.
Rory McIlroy had a four shot lead in the 2011 Masters going into the last round, and shot 80, then won four majors in between 2011 and 2014, and was close a few times after, seemingly "collapsing" at the last minute, like the 2024 U.S. Open where he missed important putts on the last holes after bad shots, then came back and won the 2025 Masters (in which he almost collapsed twice giving the lead on the last round twice before he successfuly tried a daring shot around the trees on #15 to set up an easy birdie that calmed his nerves and eventually winning).
Greg Norman, who was #1 in the world for what seems infinity, collapsed at the Masters at least twice (1986 to Nicklaus & 1996 to Faldo), and was never close again after he lost the 1996 Masters to Nick Faldo.
Greg Norman collapsed at the 1986 PGA Championship before losing on the last hole to Oklahoman Bob Tway who holed out from the bunker. But, what people don't remember is that Bob Tway began the last day four behind Greg Norman, but by #18, they were tied as Norman was four over par and Tway was even par. The sand shot was not difficult and would have probably gone into a playoff had Tway not holed out (Norman ended out three-putting trying to hole for birdie).
Ray Floyd let one go in the 1990 Masters, dunking a ball in the water on the second playoff hole on #11 and was never close again. Jack Nicklaus let a few go between 1975 PGA Championship and the 1980 U.S. Open, then won the U.S. Open in 1980 along with the PGA Championship.
Curtis Strange began the 1980 Masters with a round of 80, then shot 65 and made the cut on the "number", and on Sunday, he had the lead, but dunked in the water on #13 and #15 and lost by two to Bernhard Langer. He was never close again.
Bernhard Langer was known for the "yips" with his putter and lost many tournaments with bad putting, but he found ways to putt (long before the long putter came to the scene) and became the winningest golfer on the Senior Tour, not before becoming the second winningest player in the Eurpean Tour.
In short, some of them have it, some of us don't!
P.S. By the way, what does Nick Faldo have in his game that he won three Masters against people who collapsed?
