BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 15, 2002

Nick Faldo

STEWART McDOUGAL: Nick, thank you for coming across for the pre-Championship interview. Obviously you won here in 1987 and '92. How does it feel to be back?

NICK FALDO: That's fine. Worry a bit, 10 years has gone by. It's obviously very nice. It's still one of my favorite spots. I am enjoying the memories from a few years ago.

Q. Do you enjoy when you go on the course like that, do you start thinking about --

NICK FALDO: I'm always thinking.

Q. Good memories?

NICK FALDO: Sure, it's nice to go around and remind yourself of some of the great shots you've had, Craig Parry was at breakfast, and I played with him the first two days, and he talked about the 3 wood I hit on No. 9 when I intentionally hit it down the right to bump it off the hill. Those were the days.

Q. What about 15, 16, 17 and 18 in particular, in '92 they were the big holes?

NICK FALDO: That's right. I mean, that was a great run, as you know, I mean, as I fell back -- I was two back and then after leading nearly all week, or just about all week, and I just had to rebuild myself mentally and sort of -- I said just forget everything, forget the whole week - good or bad - and just start again now, and to play those four holes the way I did was as good a four holes as I've played, I'm sure.

Q. Distinguish Muirfield from the other courses.

NICK FALDO: I think it's a shot-making course. You have to work the ball well. You have to drive the ball well, even though -- the greens have quite a bit of undulation on them so you have to stay on the right side of them. It's unusual to play the links when you worry about leaving uphill putts or hitting left or right of the pin, but this is one of the places where you do have to keep it right or left, or keep it in the right areas of the green, and I think when the wind blows, trying to do that, it's doublely difficult. I think that's where the players enjoy this challenge.

Q. Do you consider this the most complete test?

NICK FALDO: Yes, it's a fair test. It's not monstrously long, but you need to just position your shots well and it gives you a chance to play well, that's the good thing. If you go and play well out there, you'll score well.

Q. You say those were the days talking about your victories here, you finished I think 15th at the Masters, fifth at the U.S. Open. Can you win here? Could the good old days come back?

NICK FALDO: I got excited after the U.S. Open, but now things haven't gone as planned, I was ill two weeks ago and I missed the cut, two weeks ago, my body didn't have the umph that is needed and having three weeks off without getting down to work on my short game, so now I'm sort of rapidly trying to build myself back up ready for Thursday. So it's going to be tough. I think it's probably knocked me back a notch or two and I have to get back in there and just play as well as I can first. We'll worry about that before we get any dizzy ideas.

Q. Is there any part of you that thinks you could do this year, say, what Nicklaus did in '86?

NICK FALDO: If you go out and play well date and get on the run and do things right and putt well, sure, I would love to get in there. That's what I was so pleased about, the U.S. Open, I handled it well; the pressure of being in there and shooting a good score. It was all going well. I would love to get back in that situation.

Q. Talk about the mind set you had going into '92 and how much different is it maybe what Tiger has now. You were obviously --

NICK FALDO: I think I was No. 1 and I came in here as the favorite. I was here with the intention of winning, yes. So that's very similar, I'm sure, to what Tiger is thinking right now. He's the man to beat, and he's just got to be comfortable with the way he prepares; make sure he has enough time for himself to do his thing and be happy with what he's doing on the golf course.

Q. Did you have a virus for the week?

NICK FALDO: Yes, I had -- well, I don't know if it was food poisoning or a gastro bug or something, but it knocked me out for -- I didn't feel like training for six days.

Q. It drained you?

NICK FALDO: Yes, it just drains you. I got back into it last week and I am still was not quite 100 percent, so I started training at the weekend and hurt my knee.

Q. While you were practicing?

NICK FALDO: No, when I was training. The treadmill was going too fast for me. I couldn't keep up.

Q. Which knee?

NICK FALDO: Left knee.

Q. Can you pinpoint the time this year when you started to feel like you could be in contention? Was there anything that happened --

NICK FALDO: Well, right from the beginning, you know, we started our season in Moriches, as you do, on the beach. We were out training and practicing every morning and I wanted to go - I made a couple of goals. I said I want to get my tempo back; I think that was lacking, and so we worked on that and then after that a few more things slotted into place. Then I started working with Jeremy. He was helping me with my swing the last few weeks, and I had a good mental attitude. I've been trying a few little tricks on that, trying to psych myself into the shots. It's been going well.

Q. Was there any point in the tournament that you started to --

NICK FALDO: Right from the start, I went out and played in Australia, the first two weeks was nice, after you worked on something and yes, it produces a result, that was the best boost, those first two weeks, I think.

Q. In this case, it's been a big topic in the papers in America, and here too, about what people think about Tigers rivals, Tiger competition, what's your view on that in light of Nicklaus' and Palmer's comments about "Competition is not up to snuff," and what's your view after being No. 1 and what Tiger has to deal with now?

NICK FALDO: I think the guy's had a nasty shock with Tiger coming in and, you know, his commitment to everything. Yes, his commitment and discipline the way he's worked on his swing, the way physically, mentally - obviously, he's a very strong man in all those departments. I think that's the bit that's probably got the guys off balance, because they know something is off. Physically, he can get around the golf course. If his swing goes off, he can literally muscle it around the golf course, and he's very strong mentally because he's just been forcing his own mental powers by his record. Every time he's leading he's winning, so he hasn't dented himself yet. They need -- if they want to change things, either Tiger has to dent his own confidence or --

Q. So it's more about him than the competition?

NICK FALDO: He's mentally strong. He's not worried about competition. He's looking after himself.

Q. How difficult is it mentally to have this relentless drive towards winning majors, because you had that in a way --

NICK FALDO: That's what we're here for. That is the ultimate test. You get four chances every year, and so that's how we're measured, by the number of majors. It's not difficult. It's just if you're motivated by that, you'll get up for it.

Q. If you were No. 1 in the world, who do you think would give you a stiffer test, (inaudible) --

NICK FALDO: Good one. That's a tough one. Of course, where we are, that sort of thing. I think right now, I think Seve/Norman because -- Mickelson is on, but Duval is off at the moment, isn't he? I'll stick with the old-timers.....

Q. Why, are they better players?

NICK FALDO: I think they had a lot of flair and I mean, Seve's biggest attribute was he had a big heart. He was a great competitor, and same with Greg. Greg was a fierce competitor. He didn't want to -- I think they were just slightly fiercer competitors. They really enjoyed the battle.

Q. Could that be what's missing now?

NICK FALDO: I wouldn't say that's what missing. I'm sure they're inside out trying as hard as they can, but Tiger is definitely a step above everybody else.

Q. If you were 26, what would you do to catch up to Tiger?

NICK FALDO: I would be ahead of him if I was 26. Can I leave it at that. That's a good answer.

Q. Talk about Faldo Golf.

NICK FALDO: I'm very excited about that. There's only 27 holes in Moscow and I've just won the contract to put a new 18 holes in there, and we're also going to put the first Faldo National Institute in there, teaching facility, coupled with my junior series, the connections are pretty strong, and the rush on golf came to my junior series last year and cleaned up, both in the boys and the girls, and location sounds very exciting. I think we're only five miles or so from Red Square so that's very exciting.

Q. When you were talking about Tiger you said he needed -- as long as he gets time to himself. How important is that?

NICK FALDO: It's very important, you don't want to feel rushed and harassed and hassled, you want to do your own thing, prepare how you want to prepare, all at your own pace, and sure he's got to do his other bits and media and other, but I'm sure he wants to keep that to a minimum. He would rather have down time, go to his practice and then go back and switch off.

Q. In this case, I read an article where you suggested - I hope you were reported accurately - if you were to win here you might consider quitting at the top, you said you wouldn't make that mistake?

NICK FALDO: It would be very tempting, wouldn't it.

Q. Is that something you would seriously consider?

NICK FALDO: It would be very tempting. Who knows. But it might be a first choice.

Q. How many guys have a realistic chance?

NICK FALDO: I'm sure it opens up a bit more here. More than Bethpage, I would have thought. The luck of the draw has a bit to do with it. I'm sure there is a good dozen, 15 guys.

Q. Nick, do you remember the '72 Open here?

NICK FALDO: '72?

Q. Yes, Nicklaus going for the Slam.

NICK FALDO: Yes, I did watch it on TV, yes.

Q. Did he seem larger than life to you going for the Grand Slam at Muirfield?

NICK FALDO: Well, the thing about Jack, he would produce the great rounds on the last day. He was always able to come out and shoot a 65. He had the ability to make things happen, which is what the best players have that ability.

Q. A lot has been made about a new Nick Faldo more relaxed guy, looser guy, do you believe that for starters? And then also, what do you attribute that to?

NICK FALDO: Well, there are quite a few things. Obviously I've been through a bit of a run off the golf course for about five years or so, and finally settling down with Valerie and putting together -- I have my business ideas as well, those are have all started -- we've done a lot of work behind the scenes in the last year or so in developing our ideas for the Faldo Golf Company. So that has excited me as well. It has given -- I've sort of gotten that off my chest. I had ideas and it's going somewhere where we're developing things. I think really the big thing is I can be myself.

Over the years, I think I've been whatever the right word is. Just been able to be myself. I think that's probably the fairest thing, following other people's ideas, and so it's kind of nice to be me, so I haven't really changed, I think I've just been able to just open up and show what sort of person I am.

Q. Has the better golf flowed from that?

NICK FALDO: Yes, better golf has happened. Off the golf course, you go through a divorce and relationships and then gosh, I've been basically living out of a suitcase, it felt like for five years, so finally settled down, I've got a great relationship with Valerie and nice home life and good bunch of friends around me and all of a sudden somebody said why don't you go play golf again. And that's been really the mission this year.

Q. Have you got the videos of the two Open wins?

NICK FALDO: Not here with me, no.

Q. When did you last see them?

NICK FALDO: I haven't watched those for a long time. It's all up there, I think.

Q. Are these fairways as narrow as they were 10 years ago?

NICK FALDO: No. The rough, one is pretty scary for an opening hole, but I think the rest of it, -- 10 is maybe a smidgen tighter, but they're generally about the same.

Q. The rough is about the same, too?

NICK FALDO: Yes, greener, though.

Q. Does that make it thicker and tougher?

NICK FALDO: Sure. You don't have -- even though it's long it can still be dry and wispy and you can get away from it, but here there are some no-no places.

Q. (Inaudible)?

NICK FALDO: I was more worried about what's changed on the golf course.

Q. How were you swinging the club now compared to 10 years ago?

NICK FALDO: Well, I think then, as I said, I was world No. 1, I was confident. Confidence is the most important thing, probably throughout the whole of the game. Now I'm having to find ways to boost my confidence in different areas, so obviously I've had a good lift this year, but I'm sure it's nothing as confident as I was then. I was working the ball very well left to right, right to left, so I'm sure that was the big difference, is gaining the confidence.

Q. Are you happier as a person now than you were back then?

NICK FALDO: I was happy then because my goal was to be world No. 1 and win majors, that was my life. Now, 10 years, you're a totally different person. You have got children and other interests, so things change.

Q. Do you expect to see Tiger overtake Nicklaus's 18 majors?

NICK FALDO: I would have thought so, I would have thought that's his mission he's on. I would have thought so.

Q. Is it relatively short?

NICK FALDO: Probably just a smidgen more than 20.

Q. Did you ever think you had a chance of doing that?

NICK FALDO: Yes. To beat Jack, no.

Q. To get close?

NICK FALDO: Yes, you get your moments when you start thinking yes, you should be regularly winning a major, but it's not quite as easy as that.

Q. You said that you could just go and play golf. This feeling, you seem to be more relaxed when you play?

NICK FALDO: I have a good attitude on the golf course. I don't have to prove a lot more, but I'm out there because I want to, because I enjoy it and I want to just play well. It's like hey, what the hell, go for it.

Q. You don't seem so worried about all the technical things?

NICK FALDO: I'm still working on technical things to keep the swing as good as I can, but I think attitude is, as I said, what the hell, just give it a go, if there is a chance of playing safe or going for it, I will go for it far more, because if it comes off, great; if not, so what, it doesn't really matter.

Q. While we're talking about emotions and things, do you feel Tiger will continue to control (inaudible) or do you think a woman might get him?

NICK FALDO: Who is she and where is she and how much can we pay her -- not in that sense. Maybe in that sense. We've got to wear him out somehow, haven't we.

No, I don't think so. I think he's committed. I would be very surprised if he gets sidetracked, very surprised. I would think that's his goal, to go and do all this great stuff, and then he'll worry about that thing and everything later. I think his golf comes first. That's speculation.

Q. When you look back, if you do, on '87 and '92, is there a shot?

NICK FALDO: Sure. I obviously get a big kick out of my 3-iron on 18 from '92.

Q. 5-iron?

NICK FALDO: Yes, the 5-iron, because that's the first time I was there. I had to draw it back to hit the last green at an Open, and that was a weird sensation, and then I had a putt. Like you spend all your days as a kid just to win the British Open and Oh, boy, you have a five footer, and the 3-iron I hit in '92 that was -- I enjoyed -- Gary Player said that's the best shot I had ever seen hit so that was kind of nice.

Q. Do you feel you came close to the Grand Slam in '90?

NICK FALDO: '90 I obviously got very close in the U.S. Open as well, and I didn't really believe -- I wanted to do a Grand Slam, but I didn't really think you could do it in a year, I just thought the pressures and the attention and what have you would get to you. I wasn't as prepared -- well prepared as Tiger is.

Q. You once said that winning a Grand Slam, I think you compared it to climbing Everest, but you said winning the Grand Slam was taller. Years ago when you said this, does Tiger make that mountain look smaller?

NICK FALDO: Nobody has done it, but he's threatening, there's plenty of people that have climbed Everest, piece of cake.

Q. Do you think anybody will ever the way the game has evolved, make 18 pars in a final round?

NICK FALDO: To win an Open?

Q. No. They're not that bad. They're all better than that. You have to make six birdies now to win a major. It was kind of unique. It wasn't planned. People said that was Faldo, dead, boring, and look at him. But I was joking on every putt. I couldn't get the thing in the hole?

STEWART McDOUGAL: Nick, thank you very much.

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