Chatting with a golfing great

Nick Faldo is a knight, one of the greatest golfers of all time, a golf-course designer, television announcer and, it seems, very happy with his post-athletic career.

He won The Masters and the British Open three times each, and 40 professional tournaments overall. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 2007, Golf Digest magazine voted him the 18th greatest golfer of all time.  

One event from his Faldo Series, a series of international golf tournaments for young people that draws about 5,000 players annually, will take place June 23-25 at Golf Club Telč, in South Moravia.

The legendary golfer answered a few questions from The Prague Post via e-mail as the preparations for the Telč tournament were under way.

The Prague Post: You seem to have quite a few other ventures going on at the moment - golf-course design, television commentary. Do you miss the competition of playing in golf tournaments?

Nick Faldo: I am really quite happy in my life right now. Televison commentary is something I am really enjoying. It keeps me very close to the sport and its players.

I also enjoy everything about golf-course design, as I love to really be involved in the process from start to finish. As far as playing, I worked hard and enjoyed so much success; I am happy with my current life at this stage and remember my playing days very fondly.

TPP: Does a single rival stand out from your playing career?

NF: There were tremedous rivalries in my era. I enjoyed the competition with Greg Norman and Nick Price and Fred Couples and [the recently deceased] Seve Ballesteros, among so many others.   

TPP: What is your favorite golf course in the world to play?

NF: I feel tremendously connected to St. Andrews and to Augusta National. There are so many great golf clubs and so many interesting places to visit and play golf today, but clearly because of my own personal history they remain among my favorites.

TPP: When you captained the European Ryder Cup Team in 2008, the United States won. Is that something you would like to avenge?

NF: I enjoyed everything about being the Ryder Cup captain, and I feel tremendously connected to the Ryder Cup. There is always a special atmosphere in the team room, and it is a unique opportunity in our sport to play as part of a team. While I would have enjoyed a different result in '08, I am quite proud of my Ryder Cup record overall.

TPP: How often do you play golf today?

NF: I tinker with elements of the game and with equipment as often as I can, but I do not get to play golf very often, and I do not play competitive golf at all. When it is time to relax, I quite enjoy fishing these days, and run to the corners of the world to be in the right place at the right time to fish.

Benjamin Cunningham can be reached at
bcunningham@praguepost.com