U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 12, 2002

Nick Faldo

RAND JERRIS: We are now joined in the interview area by Nick Faldo. This is his 60th consecutive appearance in a major. Thanks for taking time out of your schedule this morning.

Tell us about how you received the notice of the special exemption and what was your reaction to it?

NICK FALDO: Well, I kept bugging them on the phone. (Laughter)

No, I think it came, as you know, Wednesday after the PGA. After finishing well at the PGA and I moved to 62nd in the world, I was reasonably confident that I was going to make it. Obviously, very grateful to be given an invite and to keep my run going. This is my reward, you have to come and play this course. Great, eh? (Laughter)

RAND JERRIS: You've played very well in the majors through the majors. Tell us about your reaction to the golf course and how it fits your game.

NICK FALDO: I'm amazed this has been sitting here 65 years unknown. It's an absolute monster diamond, it's a monster gem. This week, they have managed to get everything. We have got length, accuracy, mega-thick rough, you've got bunkers that are eight-feet deep and you've got super-fast greens, and it's now blowing. Apart from that, it's dead easy, (Laughter), apart from getting here.

That was a great question of the week, "Have you noticed any added security?" I liked that one yesterday, as you come through the chicanes of trucks and what have you. I thought that was a good one.

Q. You must be very proud of that record of 60 consecutive majors.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I believe Jack did more. Am I the second-longest run? That's why I wanted to keep it going, obviously, just to give Tiger something to go for, another record. He'll be retired before that.

Seriously, that's something I wanted to keep going. Obviously, because I've gotten an invite for the PGA, so at least I'll get through to Augusta next year, we'll add a couple more.

Q. Describing Bethpage with the length and accuracy, is this the kind of course you enjoy playing?

NICK FALDO: Ten years ago, yeah. This is -- I do enjoy it. But we all -- yeah. You wait in trepidation for tomorrow. You just don't know what's in store. If you play well, you're cool with it, but if you don't, it will just grab you by the arms. It's as tough as anybody has ever seen.

Q. In that same vein, is this course putting everybody on the same plane?

NICK FALDO: Well, length is a factor, obviously, with all of four par 4s all over 485 or more, maybe five of them. So length is important.

But the guy with a good length, but very accurate, that's going to help because every time you touch the rough, that's it. You just wedge it and so that guy will play well. The fact that nobody has been here makes it tricky on the greens. I notice you've got greens that they look natural, like they are going, whatever, left-to-right, and the putts do go opposite ways. We just haven't been here enough to know the subtleties. I think all of those things will keep the score up.

Q. In view of your record here, and also your history with David Leadbetter as well, are you disappointed that he described you as a "cart horse"?

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I thought they must have been misquoted.

Q. By us?

NICK FALDO: Because he would be furious. (Laughter) Yeah, that's why. Surely, he couldn't call me something like that, eh? We did 13 years of pretty good stuff, so I'm quite surprised about that.

Q. Have you spoken to him about that?

NICK FALDO: No, no. But I will.

Q. The two-tee thing, what are your feelings about starting on two tees, and specifically No. 10?

NICK FALDO: I'm sure if they were going to go to two tees, I would agree with that. But what a week to choose. We've got to take a grand tour. Have you done the run yet? Have you guys been on the trip yet? It's quite a scenic one. Have you actually done the bus ride? No? You've got to do the bus ride, it's quite a scenic wonder.

Yeah, it's quite a week to choose. And you face your opening hole; that's your opening run. But, I'm sure they were very concerned over the six-hour rounds last year.

Q. But if two tees came in, became more popular, what would your feeling be about that?

NICK FALDO: That's fine. I think anything -- pros would all rather it was even, everything was evened out, rather than getting the big break, the luck of the weather. Well, you do get that in America, but you get it even more so in the British Open. You do get Tiger's half of the draw, and the rest of us.

Q. Did you think it could not come any tougher than Carnoustie in '99, and what is this in comparison?

NICK FALDO: Carnoustie with the elements, adds in, as well. But this is the toughest we have ever played in natural, calm conditions. If it ever blew here, it would be impossible. If you took them all even, with Carnoustie calm, as you've seen before, guys can shoot good scores around it.

Q. I'm curious if you had heard anything at all about the Black Course before you came over? There had been some early suggestions by some USGA officials that there might be record scoring this week because the greens are relatively flat, and what's your thought of it when you first saw the course?

NICK FALDO: Well, they call them flat, but I haven't had a straight putt yet. They are very slippery, and they have got such a good surface on them. Plus we haven't been here before to read them. It's a big guess, will it break as much as it looks? And others are going the other way, plus they can put the pins -- they have very subtle slopes off the side of the greens, so you know darned well the pin is going to be next to that. If you get on the wrong side of that, you'll still have six, eight foot breaking putts from 20 feet because of the speed of them. You've got to get it high and die it in there.

Q. Do you notice a lot more slope on the back than the front? And I'd be curious what you think of 15 as a hole.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, 15 is taking everything to the max. It's a great hole. It's a tough hole. Tough driving, your playing uphill and then you've got a brutal green, so that one we'll just steer into the middle of the green hopefully and 2-putt in and get out of there. That's Plan A.

Q. At the opposite end of the scale, we've a 16-year-old qualifier here. Did you ever think amongst your majors that you would see somebody that young in the field?

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I think you would do. You've got an opportunity to come and qualify. Golfers are getting better and better, aren't they? There's always going to be one or two. You have young kids who can do it.

Q. With your architect's hat on, looking at this as a municipal course that we are playing an Open, would you like to see something like this back in Britain?

NICK FALDO: Very much. As you know, I've been pushing hard for 10 years in all sorts of different areas quietly to make things happen. But it's very difficult, it sure is. But we keep trying.

Q. With the principle of only playing 22 pounds ?

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I wanted to create -- I nearly had an option a couple of years ago in a park, I won't say where, and doing exactly that, to do all three levels. To do a private club, a members club and a pay-and-play, that was the vision. That's one of my visions, and one day. We'll keep battling.

Q. Does it frustrate you that it has not happen?

NICK FALDO: Well, a lot of things frustrate me, sure. That's very important thing to develop. You've got to give people an opportunity to play. Especially more so in England. Scotland has a lot of pay-and-plays. But in England in the right places, they do work. People want to play them. So, yeah, we'll keep at it.

Q. If you're not eligible for the U.S. Open next year, would you try to keep this streak going by coming over to qualify?

NICK FALDO: Yeah. All depends on how I'm playing. If I'm playing well enough to think I would like to come and give it a shot, yeah, sure. I'll try and keep it going.

Q. England in the World Cup, have you been following it?

NICK FALDO: Have I been following it? Yeah.

Q. Did you watch it this morning?

NICK FALDO: I didn't no. I didn't watch it this morning. They are through, I know, it's great.

Q. Are you actually a football fan?

NICK FALDO: Medium to fair. Now I know David (Beckham), so, yes, of course I'm a fan. David's a golfer.

Yeah, I'm pleased with the boys, it's great. So move on, chaps. Determination.

Q. So you say you know David?

NICK FALDO: Yeah.

Q. Taught him any lessons?

NICK FALDO: No, I'm going to. He wants to.

Q. Has he phoned you up or made it known?

NICK FALDO: I met him a couple of times. I met him at a party and I said, "Come on do you want to go to a lesson? We'll go to a nice private place, nobody will know."

He says, "I need that. I need some lessons." I could be the official England golf coach. Sven Faldo. (Laughter).

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