MASTERS FINALE, NOT WOODS, GETS VOTE.

Byline: Ron Sirak Associated Press 

The problem with history is that it gets old quickly.

In an information age where sensory overload is a way of life, the most recent image burned into the brain pushes everything else aside and takes on an importance out of whack with reality.

So with all due respect to Tiger Woods, here's an argument that the most compelling moment in golf in 1996 was something out of ancient history, something that happened way back in April - the Masters.

Certainly, Woods emerged on the PGA Tour with more drama and ballyhoo than anyone in the history of golf. But part of that was because this is an era of more ballyhoo in general.

Certainly, the unprecedented third consecutive U.S. Amateur championship by Woods was great drama. But it was the $40 million Nike deal that really pushed him out of the sports pages and onto the front page.

And certainly two victories in his first seven events as a pro were impressive achievements, though sometimes lost in the accomplishment was the fact they occurred on courses perfectly suited for Woods' game and at a time of the year when the best players either weren't playing or had little motivation.

The round of golf that will endure as long as people talk about the game was played on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club - a venue familiar with such drama - by Nick Faldo and Greg Norman.

``I hope I'm remembered for shooting 67 and not for what happened to Greg,'' Faldo said after he came from six strokes back to beat Norman in the Masters. ``But, obviously, this will be remembered for what happened to Greg.''

Yes, that round will be remembered for the 78 Norman shot on Sunday. And yes, it will also be remembered for the emotional chord Norman touched in sports fans with his straightforward acceptance of defeat.

``Maybe these hiccups that I have, that I inflict on myself, are meant for another reason,'' Norman said after finishing second in a major championship for the eighth time. ```Maybe something good is waiting for me down the line.''

But the other aspect of that Masters that will emerge over time and take its rightful place in history is the great round played by Faldo. It was brilliantly conceived and perfectly executed.

Faldo played with enormous control and patience under the intense pressure of the final round.

``My mouth was so dry I was drinking water on every hole,'' Faldo said about his nerves.

The pressure, however, never knocked Faldo off his game. He took what the course would give, making birdies on all four par-5 holes, and never tried to attack sucker pin positions.

The only shot that did not go exactly where he wanted it to go was his second shot on No. 5, a good shot that couldn't hold the green from the angle he had and barely trickled into the back bunker, leading to his only bogey of the day.

``And that shot didn't miss by much,'' Faldo said.

A lot was learned about Faldo and Norman that day - about their ability to plan, execute and perform under pressure on a very challenging course.

``It's the most strategic thinking course in the world,'' Faldo said about Augusta. ``You've got to steer the ball in the right places.''

That was exactly what Faldo did. He kept putting his ball in the right spot and never let the pressure off Norman.

``I just kept trying to concentrate on starting my downswing slowly,'' Faldo said when asked how me maintained his rhythm in that round.

Looking back on it, the most important shot in that Masters was Faldo's birdie on No. 17 on Saturday that put him alone in second place and paired him with Norman on Sunday.

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Photo: Nick Faldo, pictured, and Greg Norman's showdown in the Masters was golf's most compelling moment in 1996.

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