At the site of his maiden Open victory in 1987, Faldo led by four with 18 holes to play only to then find himself two behind John Cook as he stood on the 15th tee.
"I told myself that I had to forget about the whole week and play the best four holes of my life," said Faldo, who duly rose to the challenge.
A stunning approach to the 15th set up a crucial birdie and Faldo picked up another shot at the 17th after Cook had three-putted the same hole for a par five.
When Cook then bogeyed the 18th, Faldo knew a par would be enough for his third victory at golf's original Championship.
The Englishman held his nerve to make a four and, having kept his emotions in check for so long, he was finally able to let the tears flow as soon as the winning putt dropped.
"It's the enormity of it all," Faldo explained. "The pressure was so great. It went from almost a disaster to the absolute ultimate."