Tour News (posted 30th June 1998)

Faldo says his game is "just around the corner"

Wicklow, Ireland, - Nick Faldo insisted on Tuesday it would be wrong to write him off as a major force in the game.

Faldo, back from the United States to play in the Irish Open, his second European Tour event of the year, said his game was "just around the corner".

Faldo, winner of six majors, has missed the cut in both this year's majors, slipped to 48th on the world rankings and found little form on the U.S. Tour since winning the Nissan Open early last year.

But he said he felt his game was going in the right direction.

"If I didn't have any desire I wouldn't be out there practising on the range all day.

"I love it (practising) still. I'm still bashing away. The day the desire goes I'll be down at the river fishing.

"Obviously, things haven't gone according to plan this year but I feel pretty optimistic that the work I'm doing is all in the right direction.

"There are a few faults in the putting and the swing that I've got to find and deal with and that's exactly what I'm doing.

"I feel fine. It's just around the corner."

Faldo is keen to get his game in shape before the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in two weeks. He has won that title three times.