Faldo won after an amazing comeback. (Allsport)

Nick Faldo won his third US Masters in quite astonishing fashion today as the Augusta National yet again turned into a House of Horrors for Greg Norman.

Six strokes behind at the start of the day, Faldo wiped that out in the space of 11 holes and then watched Norman continue to self-destruct by going into the water for double bogey fives on both the 12th and 16th holes.

The 38-year-old Briton held his nerve and then, for good measure, sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the last to collect the sixth major of his career, but his first since his third Open triumph in 1992, by an incredible five clear strokes. It was the biggest last-day turnaround in the 60-year history of the tournament.

Faldo, solid as a rock while the mayhem of Norman's collapse was going on, closed with a 67 for an 12-under-par total of 276. Norman, who has now had seven top five finishes at Augusta without once winning, returned a sad 78 and just hung on to second place by a stroke from American left-hander Phil Mickelson.

It was the eighth time Norman has finished as a runner-up in the four major championships and this one will hurt even more than Larry Mize's dramatic chip-in at the 1987 Masters and Bob Tway's holed bunker shot to take the 1986 US PGA from out of the Great White Shark's grip.

Faldo did not finish in the top 20 of any of the four majors last season - a year remembered more for his marriage break-up than his golf - but said at the start of this week that he still felt his best year could be ahead of him.

``I see no reason why I can't win another five majors,'' he commented. Nobody should write off the chances of that now.

Faldo's victory means that that British golfers have won five of the last nine Masters.

Sandy Lyle started the run in 1988, Faldo then won play-offs the next two years (after starting the final round five behind and three behind) and Ian Woosnam triumphed in 1991.

Only two golfers have now won more Masters titles than Faldo. Arnold Palmer lifted the crown four times and Jack Nicklaus six.

It was Nicklaus's Augusta victory in 1972 that got Faldo interested in golf, but little did he think then that he find himself involved in as dramatic a day as this.

While twice champion Faldo went to the turn in a controlled 34, Norman covered it in 38 as the pressure of trying to bring home his first green jacket - at the 16th attempt - built. Yet that was only the start of the problems for the 41-year-old Australian.

Norman, who has finished in the top five six times at Augusta without winning, followed a bogey on the ninth with two more on the 10th and 11th. Then for the second day running he dumped his tee shot to the 155-yard 12th into the water.

On Saturday it only cost him a bogey four, but this time he took five and, having started the day on 13 under, he was suddenly only seven under and a mere two strokes in front of third-placed pair Frank Nobilo, of New Zealand, and American left-hander Phil Mickelson.

Faldo must have struggled to believe what he was seeing as Norman three-putted from only 14 feet at the 11th, the hole where Faldo won play-offs in 1989 and 1990.

On those two occasions he started the final round five behind and three behind. He left it late each late to get on terms, but Norman's collapse threw the pressure onto his own shoulders.

He handled it wonderfully. At the long 13th he found the green in two, and, after Norman had pitched to 14 feet and holed, Faldo two-putted for a matching birdie.

At the 16th Norman thought he had chipped in for eagle, but Faldo, just over the green in two, hit a superb chip himself to two feet and both birdied again.

It was all over when Norman went into the water on the 16th. ``I tried to hook a six-iron and I hooked it all right,'' he said. ``The ball was nearer the crowd on the left of the lake than the green on the other side.''

The world No 1 did not mix his words about his display. ``I played like s***,'' were his first words in his news conference.

``It was all my mistakes. I didn't do the right things and Nick played great. I got a good old arse-whipping.

``Of course, I am disappointed. I put all the blame on myself. I am a winner, but I just didn't win today.

``It's not the end of the world. I'll still wake up tomorrow breathing - I hope. That's golf, you know. I am very philosophical.''

It was an awful day for the other Europeans. Ian Woosnam had a nine on the 15th as he shot 80 and finished on six over; Colin Montgomerie had his second successive eight on the same hole and had 75 for eight over.

Seve Ballesteros had the highest 72-hole total of his 20 Masters, a 76 leaving him on 11-over-par 299; German debutant Alexander Cejka shot 80 for 302, 14 over, and was last.

Even the normally reliable Bernhard Langer suffered. A 78 dropped him to 295, seven over.

In his moment of triumph Faldo's first thoughts for were Norman, whom he embraced at the end of the round.

``I honestly and genuinely feel sorry for Greg and what he is going through,'' he said.

``I just felt for him. I said to him `I didn't know what to say, but I want to give you a hug'. There were a few other bits as well.''

Norman commented: ``He has gone way up in my estimation for what he said. It was very special to me.''

Faldo added: ``What an amazing day. My true goal this week was to have a good tournament and get a boost for the year. I didn't think this was going to happen.

``I set out to shoot 65 or 66. I tried to play as smart as I could and hit the ball as solidly as I could.

``I made only a couple of mistakes all week - and only three-putted once. All my six majors have been special and this is an amazing one. I hope I will be remembered for shooting 67 and storming through, but it is going to be remembered for what happened to Greg.

``This has justified my decision to come to America. You never know whether you have another win in you, but know who knows what the future holds. The Grand Slam is the ultimate.''

Collated scores after round four (US unless stated):

(x) denotes amateurs

276 N Faldo (GB) 69 67 73 67 (£300,000)

281 G Norman (Aus) 63 69 71 78 (£180,000)

282 P Mickleson 65 73 72 72 (£113,000) 283 F Nobilo (NZ) 71 71 72 69 (£80,000)

284 S Hoch 67 73 73 71, D Waldorf 72 71 69 72 (£63,500 each)

285 D Love III 72 71 74 68, J Maggert 71 73 72 69, C Pavin 75 66 73 71 (£51,966 each)

286 D Frost (SA) 70 68 74 74, S McCarron 70 70 72 74 (£43,350 each)

288 F Couples 78 68 71 71 (£38,300)

287 B Tway 67 72 76 72, L Janzen 68 71 75 73, E Els (SA) 71 71 72 73 (£32,233 each)

288 M Calcavecchia 71 73 71 73 (£28,300)

289 J Huston 71 71 71 76 (£26,700)

290 P Azinger 70 74 76 70, M O'Meara 72 71 75 72, T Lehman 75 70 72 73, N Price (Zimb) 71 75 70 74, D Duval 73 72 69 76<

291 L Mize 75 71 77 68, L Roberts 71 73 72 75

292 R Floyd 70 74 77 71, B Faxon 69 77 72 74

293 B Estes 71 71 79 72, J Leonard 72 74 75 72

294 J Furyk 75 70 78 71, J Gallagher jnr 70 76 77 71, H Irwin 74 71 77 72, S Simpson 69 76 76 73, C Stadler 73 72 71 78, J Daly 71 74 71 78, I Woosnam (GB) 72 69 83 80

295 F Funk 71 72 76 76, J Haas 70 73 75 77, B Langer 75 70 72 78

296 C Montgomerie (GB) 72 74 75 75, V Singh (Fiji) 69 71 74 82

297 S Lowery 71 74 75 77, J Nicklaus 70 73 76 78

299 S Ballesteros (Spain) 73 73 77 76

302 A Cejka (Ger) 73 71 78 80