‘Not talking about you know what’: Faldo’s Shark sledge

Respectfully biting his tongue, Nick Faldo is refusing to dignify fresh criticism from Greg Norman that is certain to reignite one of golf’s fiercest rivalries.

This week marks the 30th anniversary of Norman’s infamous final-round collapse from six shots up that gifted Faldo a third Masters title and Australia’s former world No.1 is conspicuously absent at Augusta National.

But while Norman is nowhere to be seen, his cutting remarks hitting back at Faldo for bagging the Great White Shark’s role in establishing the rebel LIV Golf League have reverberated around the sporting world.

“We never had any sort of relationship. We were chalk and cheese. He was a loner, I couldn’t be like him,” Norman told London’s Telegraph, adding that Faldo “still still comes out with stuff that’s interestingly stupid”.

“Nick said some things about me during my time at LIV, some really nasty things. I don’t have any respect for someone who gives their opinion on something in that sort of manner when they don’t know both sides.

“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. 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.”

Faldo, who claimed playing on the LIV circuit “makes you go soft”, was clearly livid when approached at Augusta National on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT).

But the six-time major winner indicated that golf fans could expect a war of words to erupt next week.

“I’m not going to say anything about you know what,” Faldo said.

“Out of respect to the Masters and the tournament, I’m going to wait and I’ll be putting out a statement on Monday.”

The Englishman did, however, reopen old wounds for Norman when he recalled his successful plot to hunt the Australian down on that fateful April day in 1996.

“I just said to myself, ‘Get within three shots after nine, anything can happen,” Faldo said.

“I knew he was in trouble because he made a mess of (hole) 10. He had a really straightforward  eight iron into 10, pulled it left.

“Greg was (also) leading the ’86 Masters, going down 10 and made a horrendous swing with an eight iron. That might have gone through his mind. By the time we get to the 12th tee we’re tied.

“I felt for the guy. Greg was a heck of a golfer.”

Arguably the greatest golfer never to have won the Masters, Norman, a three-time runner-up remains philosophical about his run of near misses, including losing on the second play-off hole to a crushing Larry Mize chip-in in 1987.

“It’s not going to ruin your life – unless you let it,” he said.

“You must accept it, take responsibility for it and understand it because that’s what you owe the game. It teaches you that nobody is above golf.

“So I have no problem with talking about it, even though I never won.

“You’ve got to take it on the chin and that’s the way I am. That resilience is in my DNA. That’s what got me there. You can’t be selective.”