Faldo sure that he can bouce back

Nick Faldo sees no alternative to putting in more hard work after failing to survive the Masters halfway cut for the third year running.

Rounds of 80 and 73 from the three-time champion proved five shots too many to keep him in the first major of the season.

But Faldo is still convinced that a return to form is not far away.

"It's a fine line at the moment," said the 41-year-old, within whom hope appears to spring eternal.

"It's close, but not close enough and that's the bottom line. I've just got to keep plugging away - and of course I can come back."

That bid continues at next week's MCI Classic at Hilton Head in South Carolina - the tournament and the course where he scored an 83 on the final day last year.

That was Faldo's worst-ever round in America, but it was equalled only two weeks ago at the Players' Championship in Florida and he was then disqualified for a wrong drop.

Even that performance did not compare in disappointment to Augusta, however, because the Masters means so much to him and he is now 28 over par for the six rounds he has managed since winning so memorably in 1996.

Having missed out on Ryder Cup points again there now seems every chance that captain Mark James will have to decide whether to leave him out of the side for September's match.

James has to make that decision in late August, time enough for Faldo to convince him he is still worthy of a wild card.

Colin Montgomerie has said that a team without Faldo would be a weaker team, but he has sunk so low - more in confidence than a world ranking that sees him at 102nd - that the road to Boston looks a rocky one.

Ulsterman Darren Clarke is likely to be at Brookline, but he too is desperate to reverse what is fast becoming a serious slump.

Clarke was 157 under par in finishing second to Montgomerie on last year's Order of Merit. This season he is 64 over par.

He too departed the Masters on nine over and must decide what best to do after working on his own rather than with coach Peter Cowen these past few weeks.

If Clarke is in a slump, what on earth is Seve Ballesteros in? He is 472nd in the world, has not made a halfway cut in America for three years, not one anywhere this season and could do no better than two 78s.

The second yesterday came on his 42nd birthday. He would love to have joined leader Jose Maria Olazabal and British amateur champion Sergio Garcia in staying around for two more days, but weekends off have sadly become the norm.