Sir Nick Faldo and Fanny Sunesson were the most recognisable player-caddie partnership of the 1990s and arguably of all time.
Just months after coming together, they confounded the doubters when forming an unbeatable team at Augusta National. Later that year, they combined to win the Open Championship at St Andrews, cementing Faldo’s position as the world’s number one golfer.
The 1990 Masters triumph was especially historic and poignant on various fronts – a successful Masters title defence for Faldo and the first time a female caddie had ‘won’ a men’s Major championship.
Three decades may have passed since those glory days, but the memories remain firmly implanted in the minds of Faldo and Sunesson, to this day the only female in the Caddie Hall of Fame.
To tee-off a week that sees Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy bidding for victory in the latest edition of the Masters Tournament, the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) is commemorating the feats of Faldo and Sunesson.
In an exclusive 50-minute interview with Spencer Robinson, the AGIF’s Chief Communications Officer, Faldo and Sunesson take a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminiscing about their success together, with a special focus on the 1990 Masters.
The interview, which is being broadcast on the AGIF’s website and YouTube channel, also acts as a pre-cursor to a forthcoming AGIF Women in Sports initiative that highlights the impact of females in the golf industry.
Inevitably, Faldo’s employment of Sunesson raised eyebrows among their peers, media and golf fans. For Faldo, though, the only consideration was the Swede’s ability to caddie well.
He recalled: “We just got on with it. Simple as that. I didn’t see any fuss at all. I wasn’t making any statement. Now, 30 years later, it would be looked at as a major statement.
“Honestly, in my mind it was a case of: This lady’s a very good caddie; we got on great and I thought it would be good for me. As simple as that.”
Faldo’s intuition that the partnership would work proved spot on, although in hindsight England’s most successful ever golfer acknowledges how remarkable that 1990 triumph was.
“It was the first time Fanny had been to Augusta National. I only learned last year that she hadn’t even seen it on TV. But the bottom line, was that it ended up being very good,” said Faldo, who went on to claim a third Masters Green Jacket in 1996 to accompany his three Open Championship victories.
Sunesson said: “It was amazing to work with him – and that we fit so well together. We’re both perfectionists. For me, it was like a dream come true. I was so lucky to get the chance. Nick and I became good friends and now we still are.”
Interview reproduced by kind permission of AGIF
