U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 12, 1996

Nick Faldo

NICK FALDO: Well, I wouldn't have thought of it as an advantage. If anything, obviously, it was just good for me, good for my game to win a Major again after, you know, not having won for quite two years. That has obviously helped me - simple as that. It is nice to win again, and it is obviously going to -- got to help you because at least, you know, it is still there. I can still do it. So you know, as we all know, it is a different golf course, totally different style and so we got to go out and do it again. At least I feel if I put my self in the position, that is where I hopefully will gain experience. At least I have been there and you know what it is like a little.

NICK FALDO: Well it is a tough -- at the present time it is playing tough. I mean, there is nine holes where we are hitting more than a 5-iron into, you know, 5, 4, 3s and 2s. You know, unless it dries out, which it is not doing very rapidly, we got all sorts of things. The weather, I think, is going to change -- is going to get better, so the course will progressively get faster each day, so that means we are always going to be guessing. We haven't been prepared for firm greens. Couple of very difficult greens, very difficult pins, you know. 14, especially, is a hell of a par 4. That green, it's, you know, -- some of the pin positions you are going to have to hit, you know, a career shot just to miss the green in the right place to enable you to either miss the green or try and get it in the middle of the green, whatever, in the right position, so that is the key thing is obviously hitting the second shots in the correct position to, you know -- I mean, it's just going to be a week of churning out a lot of pars this week - just play sensible and keep churning out the pars and hopefully pick up a few chances here and there.

NICK FALDO: Well, very similar. It is set up very similar as well. I mean, we had thick rough there. It was certainly wet that week. Yeah, very similar style. These greens are probably even more demanding because of the -- they have a lot of ridges running from front to back as well. So even if you miss-hit -- if you are going for the right pin and you pull it or do something, you don't quite land it in the right place, the ball can end up 20, 30 yards away from the pin. Then you got to putt back over one of these, you know, 4-foot ridges. There is a couple of very severe greens out there.

NICK FALDO: Well, I guess it will be if we haven't had the firm conditions they would like. I think when they get the greens firm, I am sure it would be. I thought Shinnecock was challenging last year, and I mean, Winged Foot was very tough. Those greens were very small, but I mean, this is one of them. It is tough to really -- unless you want to play them all bang, bang, bang after each other, same conditions, but this is certainly -- this is very demanding, every hole. There is very few, what you call birdie holes, so you know, it is a demanding course.

NICK FALDO: Well, there is -- there seems to be a few more, you know, bigger ridges obviously. I think the more you play -- when I first looked at the first green you could see obvious slopes, but then when you come back and looking at it a couple of more times, then you see how severe they really are. I think they are probably, you know, Augusta has long, long subtle curves and here they are hard. There is more ridges. There is more ridges running, as I say, front to back, so even if you hit it in the middle of the green, you still got to putt over. You know, there is less -- the flat areas are smaller here, put it that way, than even at Augusta.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I am pleased with the way I have been practicing. That has gone quite nicely. I am just having a good look at the golf course, that is really it. In the space of time we got to work, I think the important thing is to really assess what we think the pin positions are going to be. And as I was saying, I think it is important to just know where you can -- if things go wrong, you need to know where you can miss the greens, which sides are safe or you have got -- at least you have got a half a chance to get the thing up-and-down. That is the key to it.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, it has been good. Obviously, you know, I had a good break, went back and played a couple of events in Britian which was good, apart from the weather, you know. (LAUGHTER) Then I have come over here and I played last week which was really good preparation for this. That really has been it. It is nice that -- I needed a break after Augusta for a couple of weeks, and then now we are back into it.

NICK FALDO: Well, sure, it is a possibility, but we all know it, all you got to do is win four. (LAUGHTER). But as we have said, you have got to get everything right physically, mentally, emotionally, health, all sorts, then you have got sort of another 150 other guys, you know, also trying to compete; so we all know how difficult it is, but it is a possibility.

NICK FALDO: Well, this one -- right now this is the most important one, you know, because I have obviously done very well at the British Open and the Masters. The U.S. Open, the USPGA are my next priority. I'd love to complete the four - simple as that.

NICK FALDO: Geez, can we have a percentage factor?

NICK FALDO: Yeah, well, I think I understand now that -- how things are all about. I mean, you are going -- got to have your own -- well, you have got to get your game right to start off. You have got to have the mental bit right. You have got survive the battle of all four, and you have got to have -- I'd hate to think what the media attention would be like if you were going for -- if you did happen to do three and you were going for the last one, I should think that, you know, bodyguards and all sorts of things to keep you all off me. So I was smiling - remember - when I said that. Geez, just kidding. You know, I think -- I mean, if Nicklaus can do it and if Hogan -- well, theory, Hogan couldn't compete in all of them, that just shows you what it really is. I mean, it is fractionally higher than Everest, I guess.

NICK FALDO: Well, I mean, it is demanding off the tee. The rough is very severe; got to drive it well. You got to hit -- any guy who is hitting their iron shots accurately, I mean, that is going to be the key bit. If the guy can keep hitting his iron shots into the right areas, then it is going to, you know, take the pressure off the putter. I mean, I am sure guys, some guys will be putting -- have to putt -- I don't know how you can hit it in the wrong areas on these greens and constantly maintain your putting, you know, for 72 holes. I think the guy who is hitting it in the right area is actually giving himself a few birdie chances has got to be the one. I think really the key bit will end up being, after the driving, will be the iron shots, obviously.

NICK FALDO: I don't know about waiting for others. I think you just -- I mean, as the pressure goes on in these events, you know, it is -- as the pressure tightens, making pars obviously works. They get harder and harder. You can't -- if your game is solid, as we have -- as you play those last 18, last 9 holes in any major, you have got to have all parts of your game because you -- because everything gets tested, so.... simple as that. I think -- it is just the survival of the screw tightening.

NICK FALDO: Not at all. I think we talked about it. I think. I think the response I have had there, I mean, from everybody, now as time has gone on, fellow players, you know, and I think as -- the record books it is there: I shot 12 under, you know, we all know how many Greg -- I beat Phil by six shots -- beat the rest of the field by six shots, so I think at the end of the day my score was there, so I think -- I am more than happy that it has been recognized, yeah.

NICK FALDO: If I am playing well, it will, yeah. That is the simple key to this place. You just got to go out and play very solid golf and for as long as possible. I think it is going to going to be very tough to scramble, so I think the guy who plays, as I said, the guy who plays solid tee to green will be there at the end of the week.

NICK FALDO: Oh, no, I quite enjoy that in a way. I think, yeah, you have to accept that. I mean, even if you hit a great shot into six feet and miss the putt, you have got to say, fine, -- par is good. I think it is -- I think when I first started playing golf, pars were good. Now, things have changed on Tour and -- you know, in the Majors. I think you have to get into that mode that -- especially on a course where the greens are difficult as it is. It will be really the smart way to play is to just keep hitting it in the safe positions; maybe they will run a birdie; 2-putt it, fine; get to the next. There will be a few holes, hopefully, you will hit some good shots in. This all depends -- if the greens -- if the greens do stay softish, well, then the guys can go for the pins, that is as simple as that, really. But as the forecast is -- possibly it is going to dry up through the week. As I said, it will get firmer and firmer each day which obviously will be changing conditions for us all the time.

NICK FALDO: Gee, guess where that came from. No comment.

NICK FALDO: Not many. Not many, no. I think -- you got really 2. You get a long run there and maybe -- it all depends -- even if you have got the short holes, you still got to hit the wedges in the right positions; that is the key thing. I mean, you have got a few shorter holes. You have got 2, 6 , no 6 is -- 7 you have got. Not many, is there? 11 is is a bit short. Only about four actual short holes out here, hitting shorter shots, but you still got to land the ball in the right position. If you -- they are going to guard those -- there are so many hidden humps in the greens you can be 15 from the hole putting over one of these little humps so that is the key.

NICK FALDO: I can't, no.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, especially with it being wet right now. I could imagine when it gets firm, there will be a few other choice words, I am sure.

NICK FALDO: I can't. There is only two of them. The second hole possibly, but not really and definitely not -- 12 is definitely a 3-shotter; always will be to me.

NICK FALDO: Oh, yeah, there is plenty of holes for irons as well. I think that is the key club as well. I mean, plenty of -- well, because the bunkers close, it is the right shot. It is not like keep blasting away. There are a lot of holes that close in, like 4, you have got a lay-up in the right position, and 6, 7, 11. There is 15, 16, so there is quite a few iron or 3-woods is the right club.

NICK FALDO: Thank you.