Faldo had birdies at his final two holes More Open third round pictures

Faldo, who only just made the cut on his 46th birthday on Friday, shot an excellent four-under-par 67, the best round of the tournament so far.

Although he was still five shots behind halfway leader Davis Love, Faldo hoped that the weather would turn against the later starters.

"The big thing is what is going to happen with the sunshine and the wind. The golf course is firmer and faster," he said.

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"This is the truest links we have played on for moons. It's rock hard. The wind is really blowing and we are just unprepared for this. The odds on getting a day or week like this is so few in your whole career."

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"You never know. If I'm four over now and if the guys get on with it and play, I could be eight back. But if it gets very breezy and rock hard this afternoon, I might end up being only four back."

Sometimes I throw something in that reminds me that I can still play Nick Faldo

Faldo, playing with Ian Poulter, one of the next generation of English young guns, got off to a great start with birdies at the second and fourth holes to go out in 34.

He stumbled with bogeys at the 10th and 14th but finished in some style with back-to-back birdie threes at the tough 17th and 18th holes.

But Faldo admitted it was one of the better rounds of his career.