The New ‘Feel-Good’ Faldo Is a Strange Sight

Wait a minute, have we come to the wrong British Open? It’s July, it’s the Monday before the tournament and the weather is actually (dare we say it) warm?

Well, maybe not really toasty warm, but the sun is shining and that is cause for intense celebration around these parts, which isn’t called “the Old Gray Town” for nothing.

And if sunny skies aren’t strange enough, something even more unusual happened here. Nick Faldo was in a good mood. Yes, Nick Faldo, the perennially dour Englishman who has made more headlines recently for his girlfriends than his golf.

But there he was, smiling like Regis Philbin, looking extremely relaxed and approachable. He didn’t appear anything like he does on the golf course. You know that look, right? Faldo does.

“Sure, I look cheesed off,” he says. “But that is the drive in me.”

For the first time in a while, Faldo’s drive isn’t in reverse. Faldo, who turns 43 today, is suddenly finding some momentum. He was seventh at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach last month, his best finish in a major since he was fourth at the 1996 British Open. And last week at Loch Lomond, Faldo was in contention until his 73 on Sunday dropped him into a tie for ninth.

That was enough for Faldo to begin feeling good about himself again. Confidence is a strange thing in golf. Players are either spending all their time looking for it when they’re playing badly or taking it for granted when they’re playing well.

Right now, Faldo can feel the level of his confidence rising quickly.

“Things have started to turn around,” he said.

Faldo hasn’t won a tournament in more than three years, since the 1997 Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club. But now, the combination of playing better and being able to play the British Open at a course where in 1990 he won the second of his three British Open championships has made Faldo start thinking differently about his prospects.

“There is a ‘feel-good’ factor being here,” Faldo said. “It is a great place, great memories.”

Besides that, Faldo said his swing is improved, which always helps in major championships. He has recently worked on being comfortable hitting fades and draws so he would be confident under pressure.

Faldo also worked a bit with Sam Snead. The original plan was for Snead to help update Faldo’s book, “Swing for Life,” but what Faldo received instead was some helpful instruction from Snead.

“One of the things which I thought was very interesting was, I said, ‘OK, Sam, it’s easy when we’re playing great, but what were your thoughts when you played badly?’ He just said, ‘I never played badly.’

“He just said, ‘I looked at the shot, felt what I wanted to do and I either did it or not.’

“I thought that is kind of great for me at this stage of my career . . . I have a free run at things right now and I am trying to take that attitude out there as well.”

What the players are finding on the Old Course is a dry course with firm greens. Five holes have been noticeably lengthened: No. 3 was lengthened by 26 yards, No. 10 by 37 yards, No. 13 by five yards, No. 15 by 43 yards and No. 16 by 42 yards.

Faldo said many of the bunker faces have been made much more difficult, six to eight feet deep and as steep as 80 degrees. For instance, the infamous Hell Bunker at No. 14 is 600 square meters and it is 10 feet deep.

“A wall,” he said.

Faldo said he has vaulted another wall, the personality wall. We’ll see how that progresses this week, but in the meantime, Faldo insists it’s a priority.

“I’m working to portray a lighter approach,” he said.

“I am thinking good thoughts. I am confident; [that’s] how I plan to play the golf course. Sure, a year ago, I looked at the golf course and it was like 18 bear traps out there. How can I avoid getting my ankles bitten off. At least now I am going out there and thinking I have an opportunity.”

Of course, the player with the most opportunity is Tiger Woods, at least according to most observers.

“You have got some guy who is blasting through us right now,” Faldo said. “I see Tiger setting a serious new benchmark for us. I am lucky. I’ve done my bit, got my majors on the wall. But it must be very daunting for some of these guys now who have to chase Tiger and hope he slips up so they can sneak in and get one.

“At the moment, he’s not showing too many chinks in his armor.”

Faldo isn’t sure if Woods can break his British Open record of 18-under that he set in 1990 at St. Andrews.

“I don’t care about Tiger beating Jack’s records, but if he beats my 18 under, I will be very upset,” Faldo said, employing his lighter approach to the fullest.

“Tiger is the man to beat, bottom line. He’s phenomenal, simple as that.”

It wasn’t too long ago when that description fit Faldo, especially at the British Open. Maybe it will work again. In this place, anything under the sun can happen.

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* WHAT--The British Open at St. Andrews

* WHEN--Thursday-Sunday

* TELEVISION--Thursday and Friday: ESPN, 6-11 a.m.; Saturday: ABC, 7-11:30 a.m.; Sunday: ABC, 6-10:30 a.m.