Nick Faldo 'coming out of retirement' to cover Masters and The Open

Golf icon Sir Nick Faldo is reportedly set to make a comeback to the broadcasting booth and commentate on the Masters Tournament at Augusta, one year on from his tearful farewell. Faldo has been a golf analyst and commentator for the past 16 years, before announcing he would step away from the role last year.

In emotional scenes, Faldo's fellow CBS broadcasters Jim Nantz, Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo handed the golf great a standing ovation for his dedication to the sport after he announced he would step back. Faldo went on to thank his friends, but broke down in tears in touching scenes.

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“I’m a single child,” Faldo said at the time. “And I’ve found, at 65, three brothers. Thank you.” The golf world was taken aback by the beautiful moment in what was thought to be the end of his broadcasting career.

But in a huge development reported by the UK Telegraph on Tuesday, Faldo appears ready to return to the commentary booth having been convinced to join the Sky Sports team. This will be the first time Faldo will broadcast solely for Sky Sports, and he will also reportedly be involved in The Open later this year.

Faldo became a fan favourite in the commentary booth due to his dry British humour broadcasted around the world since 2006. While Faldo previously said he wouldn't make a full-time broadcasting comeback, Sky Sports' allure appeared too much for the great, which will see him once again impart his knowledge for an 18th Masters in a row.

The Masters is a special place for Faldo where in 1989 he became the first Englishman to win the green jacket, before going on to win two more in 1990 and 1996. He made his PGA Tour start in 1979 at Greensboro and went on to win an incredible 43 tournaments.

Faldo turned pro in 1976 and went on to win six majors to cement himself as one of the game's greats. A former World No.1 for 93 weeks, Faldo was introduced into the Golf Hall of Fame in 1998.

LIV Golfers to return for Masters Tournament

Faldo will now have the chance to commentate on a unique Masters Tournament, which will see Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and 16 other LIV golfers welcomed back for the first major since they were banned from the PGA Tour. The Greg Norman-run competition has managed to bring over some of the biggest names in the sport, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Johnson and Smith.

Earlier in the year, Faldo joked he wouldn't be commentating for LIV Golf, which is run by his former rival on the course. However, Faldo will now commentate on the LIV golfers as fans watch on to see how the breakaway golfers are welcomed back to Augusta.

Faldo was also invited to the Masters Champions' Dinner at Augusta National this week, which included six LIV Golfers. This included Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia.

While the reaction to the LIV Golf war is one thing, questions are being asked on how the elite LIV golfers will compete with many of them not facing the same competition on the consistent basis. CBS Sport and golf reporter Kyle Porter questioned the form of players such Johnson heading into Augusta.

"One thing I've been thinking about as it relates to the Masters is how sharp players like Dustin Johnson are going to be at the biggest event of the year," he wrote. "DJ has played just 22 rounds since The Open last year and has one top 10 worldwide since last Sept. Will that matter?"

However, Porter admitted Smith and Johnson have the quality to still win the tournament on any given day. "It might not. Guys like DJ and Cam Smith can seemingly fall out of bed and shoot 68s anywhere on the planet ... but it's hard to imagine the dearth of golf won't affect them in some way."

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