World number one Norman equalled the course record of 63 in the first round and took a six-stroke lead into the last day. "Go out and win it by 12," wrote Nick Price to his friend.
But Norman began badly, dragging his first drive left en route to a bogey. "Something's going on in Greg's mind," Faldo recalled thinking in his autobiography, "Life Swings".
Faldo birdied the sixth to cut the gap to four. Norman was shaken. Faldo tried to hide his emotions. "I made a conscious effort to stand taller and show no reaction," he wrote.
Two clear at the turn and level after 11, Norman double bogeyed the short 12th via Rae's Creek. Price walked out of the clubhouse. "I can't stand to watch this happen," he said.
"Blimey. Now it's mine to lose," Faldo whispered to his caddie on the 13th. "I could feel my chest constricting as the enormity of events began to sink in," he wrote.
Still two up, Faldo made a safe par on the short 16th but Norman again found the water and dropped two more shots. Faldo 11 under, Norman seven under.
With a four-shot cushion, Faldo birdied the last to win by five and claim his third Masters title. But his first thoughts were for the shell-shocked Norman.
The pair embraced, with Faldo torn between joy and sympathy. Only years later did he reveal his words of comfort: "Don't let them get you down over this."
Faldo had proved his credentials as the "iceman" once again. He said it was his finest round in terms of mental focus. He later admitted he "wasn't feeling as brave as he looked".
Norman, the millionaire businessman, was deprived of something money can't buy - a Green Jacket. "I'm sad. I'm going to regret it. But it's not going to affect my life," he said.
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