The foreign domination of golf's major championships has not included Nick Faldo in the past two years.
Since winning the British Open in 1992, Faldo finished second last year in the British Open and third in the PGA Championship. He hasn't been close in three majors this year, and he missed the cut at the U.S. Open, the first time he missed a cut at a major since 1986."It's been disappointing," said the tall Englishman, who began the year ranked No. 1 in the world and is now No. 3 behind Greg Norman and Nick Price. "I've worked very hard trying to get things going, and it hasn't come off this year."
The PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club offers him his last opportunity, and Faldo likes his chances. He came to the U.S. a week early, finishing in a tie for 11th last week at the Buick Open in Michigan. A 73 in the third round Sunday morning took him out of contention, and Faldo blamed that on trying to find his touch on American greens.
Other that, "I think I'm just about right," he said.
He spent his practice round Monday playing alone with a faithful following of about 40 in the gallery. While his putting has deserted him much of the year, he spent little time trying to figure out the subtle breaks on the greens.
"They were a bit slow. Obviously, they're saving them," Faldo said. "When I putted on them before, they were quick."
Faldo made his PGA Championship debut in 1982, the last time it was played at the 6,834-yard, par-70 Southern Hills. He was 5-over-par the last two days and finished in a tie for 14th with a 282.
Faldo remembers slick greens and brutal heat. Temperatures again are expected to be in the mid- to upper-90s throughout the tournament, typical for Oklahoma in August and testy for players on a course where a premium is placed on position off the tee.
While the rough is only 21/2 inches tall, balls nestle deep in the bermuda grass, and several holes feature an approach to elevated greens guarded by deep bunkers.
"This is a very tough golf course, very demanding," Faldo said. "It does look a bit English in parts, but we don't have anything as severe as this. You've got to thread the ball in the right places. It's going to make it very demanding for the week, especially with the heat, to keep your concentration going. You've got keep positioning the ball. It's going to be a long week."