BRITISH OPEN: Faldo returns to the scene of his triumphs of 1987 and 1992 Philip Reid believes only the foolish would rule out another British Open win by Nick Faldo on a course he loves
With the tips of the fescue grasses dancing in the wind on either side of the narrow manicured pathway that leads from the first tee-box through the knee-high rough to the fairway, the two figures went about their jobs. One was shorter than the other, and struggled to keep pace with the taller figure, a man who strode with purpose. Fanny Sunesson's quick steps, however, ensured she never fell too far behind Nick Faldo, a man who knows the secrets of Muirfield better than anyone.
On the last two occasions, in 1987 and 1992, that the British Open was staged at Muirfield, Faldo won; which is quite something. "People seem to admire and respect Muirfield, but they rarely fall in love with it," remarked Faldo.
"I am an exception to the rule . . . I am not sure I can think of another golf course that better tests an individual's character."
And, when it comes to tests of character, Faldo is among the best. On Thursday, he will celebrate his 45th birthday, but it is testimony to his longevity that only the foolish would rule out a third British Open win by this man on this terrain.
That first win in 1987 only served to embellish his reputation as "The Ice Man". In the final round, he recorded 18 straight pars to claim his first major title, beating Rodger Davis and Paul Azinger by one stroke. His swing, which had been remodelled by David Leadbetter, held up flawlessly under the pressure and, by the time he returned to Muirfield in 1992, he had added two US Masters and another British Open win - at St Andrews in 1990 - to his ever-growing list of honours.
While his par-machine tag of 1987 confirmed his almost unrivalled ability to focus on a golf course, he fashioned out a different type of win in 1992. He had opened with rounds of 66 and 64, and a third round 69 put him four ahead of John Cook and Steve Pate going into the final round. Standing on the 15th tee, however, Faldo had fallen two behind Cook.
"I knew I would have to play the best four holes of my life," he recalled.
On the 15th, he hit a "soft" five-iron from 165 yards into the wind and it ended up three feet from the pin. He followed that birdie by parring the 16th, birdieing the 17th and, with a three-iron approach to the last - described by Gary Player as "the best shot I ever saw" - he two-putted for a par. Faldo had just played the four best holes of his life, and it was enough to give him victory.
In the run-up to that 1992 British Open, Faldo and Sunesson arrived early so that they could study the green complexes from 30 yards and in. "We were able to determine where best to land the ball so that it would feed in toward the hole," Faldo would later reveal.
It was typical of Faldo, meticulous; leaving nothing to chance. But, then, this is a player who didn't play his first round of golf until he was 14 but played with a focus that few other schoolchildren possessed. When Faldo informed a career guidance counsellor he wanted to be a professional golfer, he was told only one in 10,000 ever make it. "I'll be that one," replied Faldo.
Just five years after he took up the sport, Faldo had dropped out of school and turned professional. At the age of 20, he became the youngest man ever to compete in the Ryder Cup. Seven years after he turned professional, he was Europe's top-ranked player. But, then, realising his supple and free-flowing yet technically unsound swing wouldn't hold up against major tournament conditions, he devoted two years during the mid-80s overhauling his swing under the guidance of Leadbetter. It was this new-look swing that would enable him to conquer Muirfield in 1987, giving him a first major win. It was only a fore-taste of what was to come.
From 1992 until 1994, he was the undisputed number one player in the world and went on an 82-week run at the top of the rankings. "Nick was the best of the best in his time," stated Arnold Palmer. "For a time, he was hitting the ball sweeter than any golfer who ever lived, including Ben Hogan."
But there was more to the Faldo philosophy of golf, the practice-'til-you-drop mentality that devoured him, that fed his quest to be the best. Indeed, Jack Nicklaus was to remark, "Faldo had a terrific work-ethic. Mine was good, but not as good as his. I never really tried as hard as Nick to eliminate any of my shortcomings." Faldo himself was to remark: "I love golf with a passion and a fascination. It is not like golf's a chore or hard work, although I work hard, but I suppose there is a certain fear of failure. I gave 100 per cent of myself because I never wanted to get to the age I am now and think I could have given more."
His work-ethic allowed Faldo to reach for the heights and, even now, he continues to strive to be the best that he can. He is currently playing as well as he has done in years. In April, a 67 in Friday's third round of the US Masters paved the way to a top-15 finish. Last month, he was tied-fifth in the US Open at Bethpage, and joked afterwards that he knew the secrets of Muirfield - and that he wouldn't be telling anyone, least of all Tiger Woods.
His preparations of the past few weeks have not been what he would have wished for. After Bethpage, he contracted a virus that forced him out of the European Open and, then, when he restarted his gym work last weekend he hurt his left knee. "I got excited after the US Open, but now things haven't gone as planned. I was ill, got some sort of gastro bug, and then missed the cut at Loch Lomond. It just drains you. My body didn't have the umph that is needed, and having three weeks off without getting down to work on my short game was not what I wanted. I'm sort of rapidly trying to build myself back up, so it is going to be tough."
Over breakfast yesterday morning, Faldo chatted with Craig Parry, the man he had played the first two rounds with in 1992. "Do you remember that three-wood you hit to the ninth?" asked Parry. Faldo did. He had intentionally hit it down the right to bump it in off the hill. "Ah, those were the days," said Faldo with more than a hint of nostalgia. "But I am enjoying the memories. It is nice to go around and remind yourself of some of the great shots that you've had."
When Faldo arrived here in 1992, he was number one in the world and favourite. "I was here with the intention of winning," he recounted yesterday. "So that's very similar, I'm sure, to what Tiger (Woods) is thinking right now."
This time round, Faldo is 52nd in the world - from 103rd at the start of the year - and his expectations may not be quite as high. And, yet, the fire that burned in his stomach as a teenager, and then when he changed swing and became a major player, is as strong as ever it was.
"The majors," he said, "are the ultimate tests. That's what we're here for. You get four chances every year and that is how we are measured. If you're motivated by that, you'll get up for it."
These days, Faldo is not just a player, he is a business. His design company currently has 10 contracts to design courses worldwide and he has plans for a number of Faldo Golf Institutes as well. Over the next two years, there are plans for everything from wines to spas to a clothing line, all under the Faldo brand name. A restaurant chain will launch later this year at St Andrews and, for a man who once famously "thanked the media from the heart of my bottom" after a British Open win, he has even signed up to be a television commentator for this year's Ryder Cup matches.
Many things have changed in his life, it seems, but the desire to be the best in a major is still there. And, for Faldo, nowhere is more like home than Muirfield, where he has twice won the Claret Jug.
