Nick Faldo | Series

October 2009

Posted 28 October 2009

Rated

2009 Faldo Series Grand Final, Round 1

How does it feel to be back in Brazil?

Great, I absolutely loved it over here last year so I’m glad I’ve qualified again and I’ve been really looking forward to it. The country’s nice, the golf course is great and the people are always really friendly. It’s very different from playing back home. The greens are different and this course is very interesting this year in that you’ve got to think your way round, find your way round a bit more. It’s very tight in places – bit more planning to do. Last year was just pure sunshine all week, boiling hot, and it’s still warm here but it’s a bit more muggy with the odd rain shower so it’s been waterproofs on and off constantly and a bit more to think about really.

How have you found it in Rio?

Rio’s obviously got such a reputation so I wanted to see what it was like out here. On Saturday we travelled round a bit and got to see some of the sights. We went to the main football stadium and up to the statue of Christ, which was awesome. We got lucky with the weather and had some amazing views from up there.

How was your round today?

Ok – on and off a bit but I’m only one off the lead today so not too bad. There’s still a bit of work to do. I won last year so I’d love to go back to China again [for the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final] because that was unbelievable. It was a really great week – completely different golf in such a different city and the people were all very warm and friendly. It was just very different to anything I’ve ever experienced. The Tour Start I had was a really good opportunity as well so that’s definitely something I want to do again next year.

Nick’s here in Rio for the tournament – how does having him involved with a tournament like this make it different to others that you play in?

It’s just a completely different opportunity to the other tournaments that we play. Normally you travel around and get to play these great golf courses and gain experience. But having the chance to talk to someone like Nick and ask him things about your game and learn from him directly is something that you just don’t get the opportunity to do in other tournaments. It’s really good.

Is there anything in particular that you’ve learnt from him over the years?

He’s really helped me learn about shot making, playing different shots – high, low, draw, fade. He’s very good around the green as well and with short game in general so he’s helped a lot in that area too.

How does having so many players from different nations at the Faldo Series Grand Final affect the atmosphere here?

I think it’s great – really good. It’s nice to mix it up a bit when you’re playing with people from different countries, see how they play the game because obviously golf’s taught differently around the world. It’s a great opportunity to meet different people.

Faldo

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