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| Monday, 27 May, 2002, 11:53 GMT 12:53 UK Faldo rolls back the years Faldo is bidding to compete in his 60th straight Major
Nick Faldo is enjoying a timely resurgence and his performance at the Volvo PGA is proof of that. He finished 12-under-par and fourth in the tournament - his fifth top ten finish of the 2002 season. He always plays well at Wentworth and was third last year. Faldo's aim was to secure a top two finish and earn a spot in the US Open but he is now considering whether to enter qualifying.
It would be his 60th consecutive major appearance, but his total of 59 is already a world record. Overall, I don't think Faldo will be disappointed. He is focused on reaching peak form for the Open at Muirfield in July, where I think he stands a good chance of winning. If the conditions are tricky, he could well upset the odds and it would be nice to see as it is rare that a player over 40 years old wins a Major. Faldo's razor-sharp competitive days are past him now, but there may be one more Major in him. It was also good to see the support he received from the fans. He has worked hard to give something back to the game and he deserves to be recognised for his contributions to golf as well as for being a fine player. I was also very impressed by the way Anders Hansen stood up to the pressure to take victory by five shots. The manner of his win - achieved with a record low score of 269 - demonstrated his increased self belief and will prove a watershed moment in his career. Hansen maintained a good swing and rhythm to avoid what would have been the huge embarrassment of losing after going into the final round with such a big lead. Many have felt that the 31-year-old has been an underachiever, perhaps lacking confidence. At a time when he may have felt the chances of a tournament were slipping away he could have been asking himself whether he had the nerve. Any doubts will have been firmly dismissed now and I am sure he will go to repeat his success. He is a good, steady, all-rounder with no real weaknesses and has recently improved his putting. He also has a good approach to the game and typifies the personable nature of the current crop of Scandinavians. Players such as Hansen and Thomas Bjorn have added an extra dimension to the tour. And the two enjoy a health rivalry reminiscent of that between Faldo and Sandy Lyle at the peak of their careers. I think that competition will raise the standard of the players' games and the two will pull each other along and help to maximise their potential. Colin Montgomerie will be satisfied with his runner-up performance and score of 14-under par. If it wasn't for the unfortunate moment when his shot at the 16th on the second day hit a spectator on the head, he may have pushed Hansen harder. That definitely affected his play for the closing three holes. |
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