Price Moves Up to a Higher Level : Masters: South African-born golfer is one of the favorites this week.

Greg Norman said that Nick Price has gone to another level in golf. Price said it’s only another rung up the ladder.

In any event, the South African-born Price, who was consumed with self-doubt a few years ago, has persevered to such an extent that he is one of the favorites to win the Masters tournament that begins Thursday.

Price won the PGA Championship last August for his first major title. Two weeks ago, he won the Players Championship, which is regarded as a “fifth major.”

“I’ve worked hard to get to this position and I want to hold on to it,” Price said.

Price, who lives in Orlando, Fla., and plays on the PGA Tour, has had his share of disappointments.

He recalls the 1982 British Open at Troon, Scotland. “I remember walking up to the 13th tee and telling my caddie, ‘I’ve just birdied the last three holes. That’s it. We’ve won,’ ” he said.

It was a premature evaluation even though Price had a three-stroke lead with six holes to play. He faltered and Tom Watson went on to win.

That is why Price is cautious now of making any claim in regard to being recognized as one of the best players in the world.

“You have to treat this game with so much respect because it will bite you if you don’t,” he said. “That British Open was a perfect example.”

Price said his frustration level reached its peak at the end of the 1989 season.

“I was playing well, but I wasn’t winning,” he said. “It started in 1988 in the British Open when Seve (Ballesteros) beat me. I had three seconds in a row at one time. I just couldn’t win.

“I finally won at the Byron Nelson tournament in 1991 and I thought ‘What a relief.’

“Winning is the ultimate compliment you can pay yourself, more than any prize money. You go without it for a while and you realize how important it is.”

Even though Price is at a higher level now, he said, “I’m still a quite a long way behind Nick Faldo.”

Faldo, who is in the field at the Masters, won the tournament in 1989 and 1990 and is also a three-time British Open champion.

“I’m 36 years old and have about six or eight years left in me to really focus on the major championships and that’s where my main attention will be,” Price said.

“When you look back on your career it’s not the amount of victories you have, but the amount of majors you’ve won.

“I would be extremely proud if I could look back in five years time and have the same record in the majors as Faldo has. That’s what puts him in a different class.”

Price credits his improvement to a more precise short game.

“In the last three, or four years I’ve worked hard on my short game and my long game has also continued to improve, but my short game has really taken off,” he said.

Price is enjoying his new status and wants to stay at this level, or reach even higher.

“How many players have won one major and then sort of disappeared,” he said. “The PGA win did what I said it would do, it fueled my desire.

“I’ve wanted to play the way I’m playing now all my life. I love playing the way I am and I still feel I can improve.”