BETFRED BRITISH MASTERS HOSTED BY SIR NICK FALDO

August 28, 2024

Nick Faldo

The Belfry Hotel & Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Back here at The Belfry, hosting the Betfred British Masters. You must be excited.

SIR NICK FALDO: Yeah, we're trying to add a few more thing from last year and keep the atmosphere going. We're going to have a British retro Saturday. I think we are going to luck out with the weather and all sorts of things. Course is nice and green, everything. Look at all the smiling fans, look at them.

Q. I understand you're going to be in the Pro-Am this afternoon. How is the game at the moment?

SIR NICK FALDO: Magnificent. Can't do anything wrong.

No, I'll go play now, nine holes, which is perfect. Should be fun.

Q. First week Ryder Cup points are going to start being accrued. Let's take it back to when you were competing:

SIR NICK FALDO: Yeah, agreed, that would get me -- gets your attention. I always used to say, it Ryder Cup year, and obviously you play as much as you can. You play more, and I think why not start week one.

You know, that would be my attitude. If I have great week here or I can win here, it would be nice to get a chunk of points. If you're keen and you believe you can make the team, you would like to secure it as quick as possible.

Q. I have to talk to you about last night, Caddie Awards. Must have invoked emotion as well, at times.

SIR NICK FALDO: Yeah, obviously Fanny was due to be there. She couldn't make it over. Obviously Fanny was part of that 40-year club as well. But Dave started with me in the early days. Gosh, some of the crazy stories. Billy, you know, a great storyteller. Wobbly, as well. They have done well over a thousand events lugging a bag; that people don't appreciate.

I think Billy explained it well. When we were on tour back in the day, it was trains and boats and no planes for them, and it took two days to get across Europe and that sort of thing. And no phones. How could you go around without your phones now? It's ridiculous, isn't it. Don't appreciate what we were doing, and obviously as players, we did the same thing.

We were paving the way. You had to carry your own practise balls and things like that. If you went to Europe, your tape recorder was this big because that was the only entertainment. There was nothing on TV. All sorts of things.

I hope some of these kids appreciate what that generation did, for both the players and caddies, to make -- I still call it European Tour -- where it is now.

Q. Tell us about this week because it's clear that year-on-year this tournament is getting bigger and crowds are getting bigger, especially looking around here on a Wednesday. What excites you the most about the week going forward?

SIR NICK FALDO: Well, as you said, week one of Ryder Cup points is big. I'm hoping a young European player wins because that would be part of his journey to try and make the team. I think the atmosphere.

We had a great atmosphere last year and I think we are going to do well. It will be interesting to see if the retro Saturday, if they make an effort. I have. I've dugout a couple of old sweaters, so that should be fun.