THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 25, 1997

Nick Faldo

NICK FALDO: Hi all.

Q. Nick, any comment playing in this tournament where the top 50 players of the Sony Rankings are here?

NICK FALDO: Yeah, obviously it just shows you what the tournament means and how important it has become. No, I think that is what everybody wants. That is what every player wants every week to have the best fields as possible. It is a good indication by the end of the week if you have won, then you have beaten everybody fair and square. That is what we try for every week.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, a bit of bad luck last year. I did my neck in on the way to the restart which really made life difficult. Couldn't even look at the hole on the putts trying to -- so, I hope I am a bit fitter and, yeah, the game is a bit better and see what I can do this week. I'd like to -- I'd obviously like to get in there. Couple of weeks before The Masters, so it would be nice to -- well, I like to get in this week and play well, see what I can do. Simple as that.

NICK FALDO: Well, exactly that. I was walking down -- I had a restart Saturday morning, I think, because of the rain delay - I don't know how or why - doing the usual walking away usual few steps, all of a sudden it went "crack." I thought, "Oh, we didn't." I said, I can't swing. I can't even make a backswing out. The pain just got me right down the -- and that was it. It just stayed like that all day. No way I could -- I had to play those whatever. I think I still had 16 more holes, I guess, to play or whatever it was No. 9, and then another finish. I can't remember it was -- then I had to play another 18. The 40-foot putt, whatever, you couldn't get your neck all the way to see the hole. You had to sort of do it in two bits. So I thought that was a handicap, yeah.

NICK FALDO: (A) great for him because the poor guy has been through hell, and I am delighted for that. I am surprised, I guess, to be out of competitive golf for 18 months, that is a great credit to him. He is obviously -- I am sure he -- I know he has been practicing as much as he could. So, he obviously has been practicing his short game. But to actually come out and win in three weeks is a great credit to him. That is fabulous and obviously depends how he goes on; make it easy for Seve. We all know there is a vote going on, but obviously he is looking good now to be back in the Ryder Cup which is great.

NICK FALDO: No. But Ken is on his way over with my ballot paper. I know. I can feel it hand delivered to me.

NICK FALDO: Of course I would. I presume all members are allowed to vote.

NICK FALDO: Well, I just -- I had a weird weekend. I felt like my game is -- the way I am swinging, you know, I have got the least amount of work -- my swing feels as best as it felt for yonks. It is a fraction this and fraction that, let us say, annoys me because it is frustrating to think that tiny fractions in my swing still produces bad shots. And, I wasn't, you know, I wasn't prepared for that. I'd had full intentions of going out and playing. I thought the course was great last week, and I had full intentions of going out and playing well. So -- and I didn't. It got more and more frustrating. I had a hard time on the greens. I have only putted well there once or, you know, in all the times I have been there, so I struggle with the greens there for some reason. So it was just frustrating. So I played yesterday. Back to just hitting it great. So, we will see what happens.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, a little short on the backswing and gets a little rush coming down, but when I do it, it flows, and I hit the ball great. I hit the shape of the shots I want to hit. But, you know, it is sort of frustrating that you can't do it or you just -- the bad shot comes in, you know, it is more frustrating in this game when you are a little bit out because you really get punished. It is like -- it is like when you miss a fairway two feet, you are still as dead as the guy that missed it 40 yards. So, just kind of guess it is one of those little weekends.

NICK FALDO: He hasn't given me any presents.

NICK FALDO: He has made a major impact to pro golf. I mean, we all know the attention he's getting and what he is bringing. Some areas, it is good; some areas, it is bad. But, generally, it has given golf a boost. And, I know it has come at a good time. I know the Commissioner is working on the TV rights this year, and so he has got a trump card.

NICK FALDO: I don't know about so much -- there is a lot of players that have been famous for their aggressive no-fear style, I mean, all through the years. But, it is -- there is just something about him. He has come on with a whirlwind with the '90s, much more media attention. I think that has got a lot to do with it, just the media hype of the whole thing. You can't -- the impact Palmer, Nicklaus had coming on the TOUR, you know, great golfers, great men, and, you know, Tiger's no different to that, yet with the media attention, it has made it into a -- you know, massive.

NICK FALDO: Par 3, par 5, par 4 - there you go.

NICK FALDO: Well, 16, you have got a risky two-shot par 5. Simple as that. Very tough second shot. We all know about 17. I think 18 is a very good hole. 18 is a tough hole. 18 is a good driver; hit very good driver, obviously got to shape the drive, and then it is a very good second shot. So I think that is a very good finishing hole.

NICK FALDO: The wrong memorable hole, yeah, bloody 17th hole. Yeah, I am not a fan of that one because the thing I don't like is you can -- you can hit a knockdown shot and miss the green long on that one. I think you can hit a very good shot, and it takes one hop and it goes into the drink over the back. I think that is the tough bit about that hole. So I can't say I am a fan of that design.

NICK FALDO: I don't think it is urgency, no. I think as I say, I think my game is in a. Groove I am just keeping it oiled and getting, you know, I am in no rush or -- everything seems quite nice and balanced for me going into Augusta this year. So, I am concentrated on this week first; then I have got a week off next week and then off to Augusta.

NICK FALDO: Well, as far as I know from the TOUR, the players, there was 80% verbal in favor of it. So....

NICK FALDO: Or, whatever, more. I don't know how many. I don't know if the ballot says pick three or four, or whatever. But, that seems to me that -- I think something has just happened. I think we got away with it last time obviously through Oly getting in and Woozy getting in. But, this time, I think as the old school are getting older, but you want the experience in the team, but we also need the young guys and we have got to somehow marry the two together. And, with me over here and you have got Langer, Woozy, Olazabal, Parnevik all of a sudden. There is a handful as opposed to one or two. I think that is really the bottomline. We have -- we are all overreacting because you still got four, five months more for points.

NICK FALDO: Precisely I think we wanted the insurance. That is all it is. We spoke to Ken about it before the last one here and said come on, this is -- we need the insurance factor. That is the bottomline; isn't it?

NICK FALDO: Well, I was disappointed he was pushed into a situation because they made that emergency ruling because he wasn't a member, whatever, he couldn't qualify for the team. I think that was -- look how well the guy is playing. We have got -- there is got -- and, then they soften the rules counting here -- you know, it is like they make a hard rule and then they softened it. We have -- I think we need to make -- we need to sit down and really study their decisions before we leap there and make one and then, oh, well, now we are softening it to give the guy a chance to come and play or to get more numbers to -- so, it is....

NICK FALDO: Oh, sure. Of course.

NICK FALDO: I agree on that as well. I mean, this is it. We are caught -- we should have addressed it. We tried to. We addressed it two years ago, 1995. A lot of guys -- why is it taking another year or more, two years from now, a year after the last Ryder Cup, all of a sudden there is a panic station, actually 18 months. It should actually not happen. A decision should have -- they should have had us all in; made the ballot again after that last Ryder Cup. So, I agree they have got a tough decision. Better vote what Seve wants or else they aren't going to pick him. Seve is going to say, "you said, 'no.' You are not in. You no vote for me --" you know. Sometimes it is tough.

NICK FALDO: I would have thought they would. I would have thought that was the whole point of doing it.

NICK FALDO: Oh, this is the players. I am out of touch. I am a minimum of 3,000 miles away.

NICK FALDO: The players are just proposing, oh, I see.

NICK FALDO: Oh, I see. Well, that is totally different, isn't it? Why didn't you tell me that first? I would have been gone ten minutes ago. It is very different. I mean, I see. Well, who knows? I mean to be honest. I mean, yeah.

NICK FALDO: Well, yeah, I would have thought if the player -- that is the whole purpose, meant to be a player organization in Europe, you know, the players, you know, okay this a serious issue, but it is just the same if the players want less sand in the bunker, it is what the players want and then they all believe that is right. So, the committees -- that is why you do it. So, yeah, that all adds a different depth to it. But, I think as we all feel that this year is different we have got more guys on the borderline. So, you definitely want in.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, be some more --

NICK FALDO: Hopefully I am seeing him as well sometime.

NICK FALDO: Real challenge is still, as I said, the challenge for me is hitting the golf ball. As long as I have still got that, you know, then that is what I enjoy, trying to hit the golf; practice and take it to the golf course and try and perform. That is still my challenge. That is what you try to do in tournaments. And, obviously, the Majors are always the pinnacle of that, how well you can perform there.

NICK FALDO: We can't do anything about the weather. I am disappointed. We have got a leader that stood on national TV and said the weather was going to be fine. Mr. Finchem said the weather is going to be sunny and there it is, pouring with rain. So, no, of course it will be a shame if it is wet here. I think it is designed -- they are trying to make it tougher and it is at the heart of the greens and the fairways and what have you. That is going to make the course better. When it gets soft here, it just opens up, you know, the guys just go, you know, just far in and the ball stays there. Takes away the severity of the slopes and that sort of thing. So I think not a lot we can do though if the weather is going to be good. Seems like it is going to be the old thunder shower coming in every other day. That is what we are going to get this week. Means low scoring, I guess.

NICK FALDO: All right.