In part one of Myrtle Beach Golf Trips Ambassador Meredith Kirk’s conversation with 6-Time Major Winner Nick Faldo we learn how he got confidence in his game, climbing ladders to reach the top, and his favorite major championship.
Meredith Kirk: In part one of my conversation with six-time major champion, Nick Faldo, we touch on how he got confidence in his game, climbing ladders to reach the top, and his favorite major championship.
I’m here with Sir Nick. Thanks for joining me and being here at the beautiful TPC Myrtle Beach. We are so excited to have you here.
Nick Faldo: Thanks.
Meredith Kirk: Just a few quick questions, so thanks for your time. Out of all the majors that you have played in, what was the most memorable experience that you had?
Nick Faldo: Most memorable. Well, luckily I’ve got six memorable experiences. I mean, the first time you ever play, obviously the British Open then, now the Open, was my one being a British lad. So that was the one I stood there on the putting green and went, “This is to win, this is to win.” So, I actually did face that. I ended up having a five-footer with basically this to win. So, I guess that is… your very first one has to happen, doesn’t it, to give you the confidence and the belief that you can do it again.
Meredith Kirk: And once you’d made it, did it really give you that confidence to go at it again?
Nick Faldo: Yeah, If you’ve done it there… Hey, I had that in my makeup that I wanted to then do this again. I was quite comfortable climbing the ladders. I think that’s important. A lot of people put so much stress on kids to say, “Well, what do you want to be?” And if they don’t say, “World number one,” or, “Win 10 majors,” they go, “Oh.” I believe, and in many other industries, you start with rungs of the ladder, so you get comfortable, and you think, “Well I’ve done that once and I believe I can do it again,” and I trained hard and practiced and really enjoyed competing. I mean, I always keep saying it. Sunday afternoon, that’s real golf. The rest of it is warmup, through the week, but Sunday afternoon, if you’re good enough to go and compete, that’s what I was trying to do.
Meredith Kirk: When you were growing up playing junior golf, when did you know, in your gut, that you had what it takes to accomplish what you’ve done?
Nick Faldo: Oh, no. Again, like I said, that’s the level of climbing. You win junior tournaments and then you… I won our English amateur, our British youths, had a really good summer moons ago in 1975. Then you progress, then you turn pro, and you start wanting to just… Back then it was top 60, so my first goal was to be exempt for the next year, then the next year was a Ryder Cup year and I believed, “Wow. I could make the Ryder Cup team,” and I did. I then finished 8th in our Order of Merit.
So, I kept setting goals, and I wanted to win, and I did. Then I wanted to be a multiple winner, and that was another kind of a mental game to get yourself from just thinking I can win one, to being a multiple winner, but that takes time. That took another… How many years before I became a multiple winner? Six years or something. Then it took me 11 years as a pro before I won my first major. So, it was all about climbing slowly. I think some people, some are very fortunate. Obviously different now. Of course, we’re 40 years on from that, so the kids are way better prepared with their knowledge, their equipment, everything. We were still searching in that era.
