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JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC

January 29, 2004

Nick Faldo

BANGKOK, THAILAND

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I was inspired by Ernie's putts on the front nine. Rushed them in that's obviously what you've got to do and it brought me to life. This is great. I just played aggressively and finished off the putts, so that was very good for day one of the new year.

GORDON SIMPSON: Shooting 30 on the back nine, or the front nine.

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I was just really pleased. I kept myself focused on every single hole. Kept trying to pile it on and read the putts as hard as I could.

Q. First competitive round since when and how much have you been practicing?

NICK FALDO: First since Hong Kong. Yeah, I've been resting, and, as you know, I've been in Phuket for four weeks. Three goals: One to rest, one to train physically and one to practice. I've just done an awful lot of swinging practice. I haven't hit an awful lot of balls. I felt that I didn't want to go out and hit balls and do it wrong. So actually just from the reflection in the window, I've done an awful lot of swinging practice. Hundreds of swings a day. And then I might hit balls in the late afternoon or play nine.

The last two weeks I played nine holes every afternoon just about. That's been good because I've been playing with some friends that are fairly competitive. I've only been playing one ball and I've been really trying to deliberately read the putts on every single putt, every putt, because that was really -- that's what I want to make the big improvement on this year is my green reading. I charged at my at my putts at Hong Kong and I was 90 percent on the low side. That's my goal, to read them, if I'm going to miss them, miss them topside.

Q. Were you expecting a round like that or was that exceeding?

NICK FALDO: I don't think I was expecting it to be honest, no. But it got into it. I'm playing with Ernie, which is fantastic. I think the way he -- I could see again how he's making his score. He made a good putt on 1, a very good putt on the first hole, and another good save a couple of holes later, and then brushed in a couple. You've just got to get into that mode. You've just got to see the hole and you've just got to -- you can't think anything else, just got to make these darned things.

Q. Is this the sort of course that suits your game and suits your strengths, if you like, the fact that you have to plot your way around?

NICK FALDO: Well, at the moment, yeah, the par 5s are all playing -- well not all, most of them are playing three shots. This year, if you launch a tee shot, the fairways are tight, a lot of rough. So I think that's what's probably helping me is a lot of wedge holes, or short clubs.

Yeah, that's all I'm trying to concentrate on at the moment is just keep hitting, getting that short game, 9-iron and in, get that hot again. Get the percentages up-and-down up.

Q. What equipment do you have in the bag?

NICK FALDO: Well, I've got the same putter but shorter. Similar putter but shorter -- exactly the same putter -- well, not exactly the same. It's another version but an inch shorter -- okay, got it right -- from last year. And everything else is the same apart from the irons and the driver. (Laughing).

Got chrome on any irons this year. I've got shiny clubs this year instead of rusty ones.

Q. What are you looking for in the window?

NICK FALDO: Sorry.

Q. What are you looking for in the window?

NICK FALDO: In the window?

Q. With all of these trees?

NICK FALDO: Trees, what am I looking for in the window ... no, just trying to make the widest possible backswing and really get some great balance. I'm trying to mix balance and strength and speed together. I've been working on all of those area, really, just getting wide and trying to unwind the club as freely and as possible, unwind it, really, really let it go.

So that's a little bit more, obviously trying to get a little bit more clubhead speed.

Q. It was obviously a great honor you received from the PGA in December. Was there an element, looking back over your career, and was there a feeling that they were looking back at a career and you wanted it to go on?

NICK FALDO: No, no. I didn't feel that. I felt it was a nice -- it was their first -- they wanted to start something new, so I was the first recipient. No, I wasn't thinking that they were sort of saying, well, well done. Unless of course they want to contribute to think retirement fund, and that would be fine, but I don't think so.

No, definitely not. I've got some good goals this year. Obviously Ryder Cup is the main one, and to do that, I've got to do some really good stuff, as simple as that.

Q. Could we have a rough idea of your schedule?

NICK FALDO: Rough idea. Play next week in Australia. Then I'll be in Dubai and then I'm trying to play Bay Hill, PLAYERS, Augusta. That's for starters. Probably the usual ones for the summer.

Q. (Inaudible.)

NICK FALDO: The usual. Usual standard Nike contract.

Q. (Inaudible.)

NICK FALDO: Yeah, I played Blue Canyon and Banyan Tree. I did my practice from under a shady banyan tree in the afternoon and played Phuket most of the time.

Q. Will you go to the Match-Play?

NICK FALDO: Sure, that's a goal right now. I need two good weeks to get the World Ranking up to make that Match-Play. Yeah, that's a first goal I guess, yeah.

Q. How do you like the way that they set up the course this week?

NICK FALDO: Yeah, the course is obviously very good. It's tight. You know, with this rough, I mean, it's really -- it makes you think. You can't -- if you hit it in the rough, you know you're going to have a bad lie. It really changes the golf course completely if you hit it in the rough; you've got to hit a career shot, hit it on the green. Or you might not have to move it. Just have to take your medicine. Almost that thick out there. Just chop it out and play on.

Q. Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke and Justin Rose, among others, have joined the U.S. Tour this year. As someone who played it for several years, is that something you would advise every European player to do at some stage, and why?

NICK FALDO: I'm not going to get myself into that one. (Laughs) It's up to the individual. Simple as that. Some guys are very happy playing the European Tour, and obviously the lure of the American Tour with the prize money, it's pretty powerful. It's a personal -- exactly that. If the guys want to give it a go, they should give it a go. Simple as that.

Q. (Inaudible.)

NICK FALDO: Sure, I did. I think I went back a couple of times. I think being a member is important, going there and being a member and staying there, I think you get accepted more by the American Tour if you're a member and then you're part of the Tour.

I've always enjoyed my stints in America. I gave up last time because I just simply couldn't travel as much. To be there and travel the world was way too much for me.

Q. You obviously want a fast start to the Ryder Cup points and you didn't get that, so had you disappointing was that?

NICK FALDO: Sure, you feel like you missed an opportunity. At Dunhill Cup, I thought that could be a good week for me. Even just to pick up a big check would have been nice, but nothing has happened so far. So I've got all the work to do now. So we'll see what we can do.

GORDON SIMPSON: Well, Nick, great start to the week. Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.

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