The Open returns to the Old Course at St Andrews next week.
Nick Faldo appears to be regaining some form.
Are these two statements in anyway related?
"Who knows what will happen?" Faldo said of his chances at the venue for the second of his three Open wins in 1990.
But there was a something in his manner, more upbeat, even a hint of a spark, which suggests Faldo is finally getting back on track after more than three years without a victory.
Faldo scored a 67 in the first round of the Standard Life tournament at Loch Lomond putting him two strokes behind the joint leaders Notah Begay and Retief Goosen.
On Tuesday evening, Faldo said he was "stunning" that no action was to be taken against Mark James, who had some scathing things to say about Faldo in his book of his Ryder Cup captaincy.
But although Torrance received a unanimous vote of support in his choice of assistants - Ian Woosnam is the other - the Tournament Committee, of which James is chairman, asked the defeated captain at Brookline to do two things.
First, to stop talking about his book, Into the Bear Pit, the publication of which sparked his row with Faldo. Secondly, to try and smooth things over with the six-time major champion, who, should his current revival continue, could make a dramatic Ryder Cup comeback at The Belfry next year.
By the time James, who had a 73, reached the players' lounge, Faldo was already tucking into some lunch in a quiet corner. The summit meeting was brief. "I thought it was a good opportunity to carry out the committee's wishes of having a chat with Nick," James said. "But he said he was not keen to discuss it until after the Open. That's his decision."
Faldo had earlier expressed his opinion on a possible meeting. "This is not the time or place," he said. "I think we should meet away from the golf course. If he wants to talk to me, we'll arrange a time maybe after the Open."
Faldo's main beef, rather than having James removed as one of Torrance's assistant, was to see action taken over the comments by James in the serialization of the book. "We all thought there was a code of conduct in our rule book, and if that's not a breach, or bringing the game into disrepute, I don't know what is. I'm sure even the committee think it was a breach, but for some reason they don't want to act on it."
Colin Montgomerie had previously kept out of the James-Faldo affair, but revealed yesterday he is one of the few people to have read the book. "It's not that controversial," he said.
"I agree with Mark that actually it is quite funny. One remark has been blown up. Faldo said things about me in America before the Ryder Cup which I could have taken forward but didn't want to. Nick seems very unhappy. Hopefully, a 67 will make him slightly happier."
Nick Faldo at Loch Lomond. Allsport.
Having regained some form with the little matter of the 2000 Open at St Andrews coming up next week, Faldo is determined not to be distracted. After one of his best rounds of the year, he was in jovial mood. Asked if he had any advice for one of his playing partners, Adam Scott, the 19-year-old Australian, Faldo said: "Not today, it's not allowed. Or have we got rid of that rule as well? Have they got rid of the whole rule book?"
Scott, who has just turned professional, scored a 66, as did the third member of the group, Tom Lehman. Faldo and Lehman were not the first major champions Scott has played with. "Greg, Tiger, Bernhard, Jose," Scott listed. That's Norman, Woods, Langer and Olazabal to the less precocious.
"He hasn't watched any Tiger Woods videos, has he? Not many," Faldo said of Scott. "Tiger has set an incredible standard and these guys are trying to emulate him. He is going to drive all these kids to a new level. Thank God, I'm retiring."
Not that Faldo is finished yet. The putts started going in again at Pebble Beach, where he finished seventh in the US Open, and Ernie Els, who scored a 69 yesterday, was impressed with Faldo in a practice round. "I played with Ernie because I wanted to copy his rhythm," Faldo said.
"I've been working hard on all those factors, timing, balance and rhythm, and it's starting to come back. I'm beginning to shape shots and commit myself more. Having a good week at the U.S. Open under those conditions was a turning point."
