UPDATED …. 2026

Thirty-years ago (16th April, 1996) I was standing at the back of Greg Norman’s ultra-luxury boat ‘Aussie Rules‘ as it proudly lay at anchor in close-by Hilton Head harbour.

It was the Tuesday night following the Sunday afternoon and the hosting of the final round of the 1996 Masters.

I stood at the back of the Norman’s boat with my fellow Australian-born media colleagues Andrew Both and Charlie Hapell, as the three of us savoured ice-cold Aussie beers from a rather large ice cooler.

The 1996 Masters was just my second appearance at Augusta National and with one round remaining what an occasion it promised to be for this Aussie-born golf reporter.

Norman led the 60th hosting of the Masters by six shots and looking to become the first Australian golfer to win and be fitted with an Augusta National members green jacket.

As Sunday morning dawned, I was not alone in having put a draft copy together featuring a long list of record-breaking achievements Norman would create, and in the process thinking to myself all we needed now was to marry-in Norman’s victory quotes and the story was done.

What a front page story it promised to be for all those Aussies back home getting ready to head off to their workplaces, given it was Monday morning on the east coast of Australia.

Alas, it never happened.

Norman maintained a four shot lead through seven holes, and then proceeded to lose five shots to par over the next five holes and with Faldo managing just one birdie over the same 12 holes.  The hurt continued as Norman then proceeded to find the water with his tee shot on 12 in taking a double-bogey and with any thoughts of Norman being fitted with an Augusta National members green jacket disappearing to the bottom of the water guarding the green on 16.

Greg Norman – Final round 1996 Masters

Faldo won a third Masters and his sixth Major with a stress-free round of 67 for a five-shot success over Norman who was second with his horror six-over 78.

So much for the copy I and indeed many others had prepared.

Next tournament stop was Hilton Head for the then named MCI Classic and where both Faldo and Norman were competing.

Newspapers around the world were dominated with sports page headlines of Norman’s collapse and with Sydney’s Daily Telegraph posting a huge one word headline on their back page:  ‘Choke!’

The author of the story itself was the now late Tom Ramsey though in those later years of his career Tom had already lost Norman’s respect, so imagine Norman’s rage in seeing the ‘C-word’ headline emblazened on the back page of virtually every ‘Down Under’ newspaper.

Monday had been taken-up leaving our rented house ahead of a leisurely drive south-east to Hilton Hotel.  We checked into our hotels just chilled out before getting to the host Sea Pines course mid Tuesday morning.  No one had seen Norman nor Faldo though Norman was our story.

Norman arrived mid-afternoon Tuesday afternoon and after all the formalities involved in ‘signing-in’, he headed to a practice bunker work on his bunker shots.

Andrew, Charlie and myself made a bee-line to ‘The Shark’ not wishing to leave his sight and hoping, as fellow Aussies we may get a chat of sorts with him.

Hilton Head Harbour – Fact the lighthouse is not a lighthouse but a mock-up with a gift store at ground level

Not for a minute did the three of us genuinely believe we would get access to our crestfallen compatriot.

To his enormous credit, Norman looked in our direction and gave us that nod of approval we could approach him and here is where Andrew was brilliant.

There must have been just four of five us in the bunker by Norman’s side and it was Andrew leading the questions with Norman opening-up on the events post his Masters meltdown such as flying back to Florida in his private jet and just remaining on the plane into the early hours of Monday morning wondering where it all went wrong.

He spoke also of taking his children to school later that Monday morning and also how the loss had impacted him.

Being in Norman’s presence was remarkable but then being able to speak with him honestly and openingly for the many minutes he offered us, was priceless.  We each could not been more grateful.

Norman had again arranged for his ultra-luxury 87-foot fishing boat, proudly named ‘Aussie Rules’ to be again his Hilton Head accommodation and after chatting with him, he invited Andrew, Charlie and myself onto his boat later that evening.

Greg Norman’s then famed boat ‘Aussie Rules’. Image Yacht World

The three of us headed back to the Media Centre pretty proud of ourselves that we had been able to speak to Greg when so many other players in like situations would have blown away any journalist.

I recall thinking to myself what may it have been like if it had of been Faldo in reverse crestfallen circumstances, as you would have got nowhere near him, even if armed with a barge pole.

Of course, in those early days post the 1996 Masters it was all about Norman’s worst collapse in his Major’s history and the Aussie born trio of journalists reckoned we’d scooped everyone, and indeed it proved to be.

After filing our individual stories, we took-up Norman’s invitation and made our way to ‘Aussie Rules‘ anchored in close-by Hilton Head harbour but none of us expecting for a second how or if any evening of any sort would unfold.

There was no more than a half-a-dozen on board including Norman’s close friends Nick Price and Peter Jacobsen while we spent the couple of hours chatting with Norman’s caddy, Tony Navarro.

Norman, for the most part, remained inside the cabin while we stayed at the back of the boat happy enough drinking a few ‘tinnies’.

Sadly, it was never going to be a night for celebration and, if anything it was more akin to be in attendance at a wake.