Faldo looking forward to challenge

Nick Faldo believes he can make his mark at this week's US Open despite admitting he is not the player he once was.

The winner of six Grand Slams has been showing signs of a recovery after a dismal couple of years.

He may not possess the "tunnel vision" which made him such a success in the 1980s and 1990s but he still believes "there is a little life in the carthorse".

I still think I can be competitive, but I know my chances of winning are much longer than they used to be

That last statement is a direct response to former coach David Leadbetter, who described the Englishman as "a carthorse" in a recent magazine article.

Faldo has six top-15 finishes to his name this season but admits he will never attain the heights he once did.

"I was tearing my hair out up until about two years ago wondering what happened to my game and could I get it back," he said.

"It took me a while to realise that I was never going to get it back. I couldn't be what I once was, that's that."

But he has not thrown in the towel completely.

"I'm older, have more interests away from the golf course and don't have the time or desire I once did to devote to practising," he said.

"I still think I can be competitive, but I know my chances of winning this week are much longer than they used to be."