Nick Faldo

You experiment every day. I mean, it's um. I I was just looking at a tweet when they were saying, well I was experiments and filling with my swing. You know, should it? Should it? I love that line when they said, well, shouldn't he just do what he's doing naturally? I love that to Sam Sneed said, I hit ten million balls to make my swing look natural. I mean, that's that's a that's a great thing. That's a great I've trying to come up with some wisdom and I thought, I said,

I came up with this morning. If if when man learned to stand up and walk, he said, that's good enough. Where would mankind be? Now? Yeah, that's my wisdom because if we don't keep striving and and and the beauty of our game. And I've been I think I'm blessed because I bet you're the same. I know you're the same. Even tomorrow, when you tip a bag of balls out, You'll be excited, won't you. Yeah, I can't wait. Isn't amazing We've been tipping a bag of balls out now

for a month. C I've been playing this game for fifty years. Now, fifty years is coming up. I was inspired so fifty years ago I watched television at the Master's when Coody one Charles Jack was obviously the all the attention. I'm on the BBC, So fifty years ago, I was inspired two play golf, try golf. And I know, I think the greatest thing is I've never been bored. And I've never said ever she should got to go

to hit balls tomorrow? Never never, And I know. Now I go and practice and I laugh because I was with Trevino and we go, so what are we practicing before? We're not playing any tournaments anymore? And that's isn't that great? Things that we go and hit balls and we got I think I've got it. I think I think I found something that was actually that is better than yesterday or last week. I think I've found and I'm staying that to myself now, and I think I've got to

go and play. If I don't play something because I think I got it again, I mean that is that I played yesterday. You know, I've beaten my age now over three thousand times in a row, and I'm trying to beat my age by eighteen shots. And I'm saying to myself, you're not playing tourments anymore. But yesterday I played and I hit fourteen greens and I didn't put well Man. Before I had my drink, I went to the pudding green. Yeah, what are you doing? I said, No,

it's engraved in us. It's this game is a disease. It's a good one. Yeah, and yeah, that's my that's my argument to people to say, you know, in our experiment, you go because an experiment is a test, that's the other good word. And you and every time you hit a good shot, you what do you say to You said, oh, how do I do that again? Well, then it's a test. How do you do it again? Physically, technically, mentally, how do you do it again. So that's that's the coolest

thing about a game. That's my argument that why we keep why we keep working on it. Yeah, it's such a great game. It's actually and you you think about it, Nick, when you wouldn't golf tourments, you've got to be a great packer, and you've got to have a great mind. And the mind is so we is having scratched the surface of the mind. Yet what is involved and how

it Okay, I've got a serious question for you. So when Gary player could not play like Gary player when it obviously it happens one day to an athlete, Yes, did that hurt you? No, No, they didn't, because first of all, we could go on to the Champions Tour, but even after that, because I you know, when nine majors on the Champions Tour, and that was very significant for me because I stayed in shape and I was ready to play. And then came the time when I

couldn't play there anymore. And I said, look, you've got to be realistic. You know, you've had a wonderful long career, and I have had a very long career, longer than probably maybe anybody has ever played the game. So you've had a feast. Gratitude. Gratitude is so important. I say to people, a man is never so tall as when he's on his knees, and so you should be thanking.

And I mean if you're playing this great country in America as you and I know, I mean, I see ethletes complaining about this and then and this and that being paid fifty million, five hundred million. You can't go to another country and even make one million. So to me, gratitude is a big thing. And I and I have a feast. So when you have a feast and you leave the table, yes, And so your your career fortunately just tapered out because physically, like an athlete, you know,

we're like a new same boat. Once he knows that the younger kids will eventually run faster him, and you cannot run faster than in your prime you then you then let go. So you were able to let go. You know my career now, I my last win was when I was thirty nine, and then I start playing badly and you start and it tapered and that hurt me. So when I I stopped, it hurt for a while because I thought I can't play punic photo could play.

So I was hurtful while but then luckily I hit the word when I went to tout in the TV tower. I looked out the window and watched these guys doing this and winning, and I went, wow, I was able to do that. I could go and play on a Sunday trying to win. And then the gratitude word hit me, and I realized how exactly the same thing. And I said, well, I'm really grateful I had that time. I had a good pair of hands and a good head and good heart,

and and I had that for my period. And then then I was fine, and I was realized, Yeah, I had my day, I had my time, and I am very grateful that I had it. So but you've got to find that. You've got to find that gratitude word. There's nothing worse than seeing f t too, being champions, trying to make a comeback and failing. You know, go out when you're winning. But the mind is so fascinating,

and records will always be broken. When the masters at forty two, and I said to my wife, the two things I did in my life that I said to my wife, she's a wonderful girlfers. She had two holes in one in the same round. She could really play. And I said to it, nobody will win the Masters at forty two. Again, well, Nicholas comes along and Windsor at forty six. So it's such a wonderful, humbling game. And then to me, people often say, what's the greatest

achievement in sport in the history of sport? Well, I have quite qualified to say that, being eighty five and having been around a long time, and you know, I won the Grand Slam at twenty nine. I said to my wife, nobody will do that. Nicholas comes along winsor Tiger Woods. Now here's the thing, when's the Grand Slam at twenty four. That's the greatest achievement in sports, in the history of any sport. You'd like to mention, you're going for all sports. That's that's a that's a good

that's a good call. That's something that uh could be done. But the odds are extremely slim, extremely It's yeah, it's now that his Tiger's achievements are amazing, you know, like we're saying, he despite what we were saying talking about the wealth, he wanted to win. All he wanted to

do was win. And how a man. Can you know how you can come out and have seasons when you're winning eight majors, sorry, eight tournaments a year and then you know some of that that hit and his dominance, and we know this game is a tough game to dominate.

I mean, because it's just just you. You've got to be feeling great and being able to come out each day you walk out your hotel room and go to the golf course, be feeling good and those opening balls and it's all got to and to be able to do that and come out and just be doing that all the time. Uh, pretty extraordinary. Well he was able to do unbelievable and young people must realize, yes, yes, would I have my life over? Now? Would you have

your life over? No? Back, It's not all roses. You're away from your family and many occasions, I was away from my children and my wife for three months, away from your home, away from your country. You're living in motels every week, traveling an airplanes, sitting in airports, having torments where you played terribly badly. You know, it's not all roses, And young guys have got to understand it's not a bit of roses. It's there's a lot of adversity.

Of course, adversity, its adversity is the greatest gift bestowed upon a man. But it's a fascinating game and it's a game you can play forever. Nick Up won't way to go and play tomorrow. Yeah, that's way way to go and play. And I mean a lot of players in their sports can't do that anymore. And that's why

we get to see golf grows. I think with this the way golf is going now, you're going to see a lot of half and say, well, listen, if I go to the NFL three years and I can't walk again, and I'm going to die earlier because I've been thumped so hard my head and my body, where's gold? You know you can make more money at eighty than you made when you were world champion. Now, they're not other sports that you can do that. It's not only the money, it's a competing and it's be able to play in.

Longevity is a big thing in a man's career. Okay, going back to the hotel life. It's funny because you know, I'm in a hotel again for for TV, and I think that's the hardest thing on the road, because, like we were talking before, you're you're so well off. Now you're living in a beautiful home anything from six thousand to twenty six thousand square feet, and then you come to a hotel and you're in Well, I'm I'm pushed this week. Yeah, I've got eight walls, I've got a

bedroom and I got it a lounge. Okay, but compared to my home, this is horrible, you know. But so if you're doing this week after week and you've got that at home, this is a tough life. You know. I've been on the I've been on the road since I was eighteen, and I'm into go. Hm, this is getting a little like half work when I know what I've got at home and that's my life. And I think that's, you know, that thing that can add, as you said, to how the guys look at being on tour.

I mean, it's it's because they've got such great wealth at home, and surely you've got you gotta remember how you got your wealth at home, because you've got it on the golf course. So and you have to have that sacrifice, as you said, to come and stay in hotels, grinded out practice hard. Um so Yeah, I think that's all part of it. That's that's that's all part of the modern golfer. And and then can you have longevity.

You don't have to have longevity like you've done, or you can have ten great years on tour and boy or boy, you are absolutely set for life. Whether you've designed to do more is is down. Whether you think I've got a twenty year window as a golfer, that's probably pretty realistic. Um, that's a great that's a great gold to have twenty great years out there. And and then if you wish to go out on the senior

tour after that, that's your your choice afterwards. But it's all about it's about that commitment for those twenty years. It's the most important thing. Yeah, I when I judge golfers, I look at longevity because if you've got a good cart last a long time. And if you look at Sam sneed and I'll tell you what, I've never seen a more rhythmical, loose, beautiful golf swing than Sam Snead. And he played forever, so you've got to put him right up there. You've got to put him right Ahare

was strong. He was strong as his ox, his aunts. Was he stropped form. I mean he used to take that hit cry stick, didn't they? I mean they did. He went into the words and he found a stick. You know, we've been big knots on it and he whittled it with his knights and putting like two degrees aloft on this not and he could hit. And I heard the stories that he managed to get green height.

That said the team that at the Greenbrier there he got green high in two even doesn't matter what how doesn't part five with that old with that old golf for him in And he said, I used to take this thing out on the tour and give it to the guys and tell him to hit it off the debt. He said that the top off the end of the team. Nobody could get it airborne. And he could hit that thing.

And and you know he could at sixty five he could take the ball out of the cup with his knees straight and he could he come in the locker. We say Sam kicked the door a normal Doyd put his foot driving on the top of the door. Its amazing, And he could do five went on push ups. I mean,

the guy was absolutely remarkable. But I loved you know, Hogan used to irritate him, but because people would come and say, you know, Sam, because you've heard this, you know that Hogan hits the ball so straight that he puts his driver and the same devit he was in yesterday. He said, if he was that straight, why did he hit it to the left or the right of it? Yeah? Yeah, they might said, they must said a good right, they

were choking cheese, weren't they. They were? They certainly well, actually amazing, amazing anyway, And you do such a nice job on TV because you've been in the arena. And the important thing is there's nothing worse than hearing an answers give opinions and they're really wrong. Of course, we all have our opinions, but you've been in the arena and you know what it is to come to the last hole inded afford to winn't And so I love your opinions very much. Keep it going, and my my,

my opinions are right, that's the bottom line. So it's nice to listen to them all. And there's a good line from somebody today's it's just because you disagree with somebody doesn't mean you're you're right, you know, so yeah, I just I just you know, fortunately still hit balls, so at least, you know, I stand out and misagreement a wedge. And then so when a guy does misagreement the wedge, you sure it's a bad job, but say why you why was it a bad shot? Rather than

that's dreadful. That's what we can say it, you know, but things happen, and try and say, yeah, I'm trying to get more of you know, how and why things happen, you know, and what what's he got to do? How is he going to do it? And why did that happen rather than speak the obvious, you know, so what you can see? So that's that's important to me to keep keep working on that too. Hey, just give some good insight into what the players only guess what they're thinking.

Not a mind reader, but but you can definitely help the golfers with some little tips here and there. I like doing that, like trying to give a bit of insight some try this, feel that, think that. So yeah, I'm enjoying it. It's it's it's a it's a it's a good gig. Two things that come to mind. It's wonderful to see golfer is you know, doing so much for charity. I think golfers are renowned as wonderful contributors

to charity. And the other thought that came to my mind knowing that you're going to have the open at sirt Andrew's and deshambro is going to drive probably firm conditions, nine greens. So yeah, this has got to be a lot of exciting things to look forward to. And thanks very much, Nick. Yeah, I just like brys and get if they get the right wind. If he gets down wind at the first, he might even calculate first bound

will go over the burn. If he lands it's jot on a rock hard fairway dying he could well, yeah, if he can carry it three fifty, he will get well down wind. They say he carries one three sixty at the first, well, that's will learn just short one big hot be and will hopefully stopped by the back of the green. That will cause a bit of a stir. Then he has to play it back to the flat. But but you're right, if you've got down wind, if they get favorable wind, you know, John Daily got very

close to number two. I mean the fairways are running rock card. John Daily got closer so you've got to obviously three you can drive now he can drive three, not the four or five part five yes too. Six down winds he will get seven, seven, seven, he could actually he could somehow get it onto the eleventh green of seven he can go up that way. And then obviously nine and ten you already can. Twelve, you already care.

And if you if you got down wind fifteen it's the fairways, all downhill, rock hard when it gets when it gets silvery shiny, sixteen brutal, prediculous shot. But wow, he could he could aim at the second green and somehow get it up very close to there. It might

be in the hay, I don't know. And then of course a team will be but he might be hitting his forearn if it's down wind on a team, so that that will cause a bit of a stir so we But but if they get the dreaded left to right wind going out and coming back, you're very happy to break empty. Four our viewers that I never forget played here the very first time. I thought they spoilt a good marsh, and afterwards I learned it was one of my favorite places the world. I've got such a respect.

But under one green there. It's about the six or something. I had a hundred yard plant, a hundred yards and I said Magetti. His name was Jock. I said, Jock. He's at the flags holding the flag. I said, give me a line. He says, Laddy, I can he give you a line? I can give you a yard, bitch. I can't even see it, he said, keep keep keep talking to me because I can't see you down there. And we got we've gotta we've gotta tell everybody what we're gonna do, Gary, because you know your stories are made.

When you first went to s Andrew's, you didn't you didn't have enough money for the hotel, so you put your water proofs on. You went in the sand dunes down I guess it must have been right of number two, somewhere there, opposite the hotel, and you put your water proofs on, and you make camp and you slept in

the sand dunes. You know. So I've been thinking about we're trying to work on this, because remember when we spoke, we were talking about when you're when I'm older, and you said, well, obviously we're gonna be in San Andrew's next year. So somehow we need us for what we're doing, and say we need a sponsor for this. We're going to do this for charity for the homeless maybe or something, and we're going to do a celebrity camp out. So we're well, yeah, we'll start. We will start with a

nice party so we're fed and watered. Maybe we can get then we can get Bush Mills to give us some lovely whiskey to keep us war all at night. That'd be lovely. And then um, and then I thought we can all somebody could sponsor us. We have a waterproof or cash me blankets, right and if it's not and if it's raining, we need a little bit of a canopy. But we thought we'd go and sleep in the sand dunes to honor you, my great friend, and we can maybe do a bit of do a bit

of good for charity. So if there's anybody out there listening to that, of things will be and you can come and join us. You can buy a ticket for the evening and come. And we think it would be a hell of a laugh, My goodness, will I think it would be hilarious. We hope, we just we hope it's not a chilly evening. I have to have to chip carry out of a ditch. If there's mind diving, well, if he dies, he dies. It was a great evening,

So it might be what's the circle of life? If that's where you started with Snares, that's where you're gonna finish, my boy the next day. The next day I got a room for ten shillings and sixpence. That was a dollar bed and the room was so small. When I put the key in the keyhole, the window correct clubby was facing the sea. It was facing the bloody WC. And I didn't have a curtain. There were no curtains in the room. And I mean, you know it was.

It's hilarious when you think. I mean, I remember taking a Greyhound bust from fort Worth to Houston. I mean it's not the same as your your own private jet, is it? Not quite? So I love to tell the story, you know it, And it's my favorite. I got on the first year Saint Andrew's my first year. Then I

was very nervous. The fairway so white, and the guy says, play away, bloody, there's big do a guy with his kill John and I hooked up damn ball and was going to get out of bounds and I, thank goodness I hit that white ray League and it came back in the fince and we will. Walking off the tea said Laddy, come here and watch your name. I said, my name is Gary Players. He says, and where are you from? I said South Africa and he says, and what is your handicap? I said, no, I'm a pro.

He said, you're a pro. I said. He says, you must be a hell of a chimberant. Butter lady, I won the Open of twenty three, the youngest at that stage. Came back to Saint Andrews. He's hitting like and he says it's a miras this is important, a bloody miracle. Yeah. Anyway, thanks very much, my friend was a delight talking to you. Yeah, that was fun. Don't forget to subscribe to the Player series on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast