Glimpses of the old Faldo return

For nine holes, Nick Faldo showed signs he was ready to start playing like a three-time Masters and Open champion again.

He hopes by the time the week is over at The Players Championship, he'll still be feeling the same way.

Faldo took a share of the lead after nine holes Thursday before three bogeys on the back nine at 10, 17 & 18 left him at 1-under 71.

While some would be disappointed with the finish, Faldo seemed excited. And why not, after a 1998 that was purely dreadful, with not a single top-10 finish in 15 starts on the US PGA tour

"I got to 4 under somehow, and I'm tied for the lead," he said. ``It was nice to play some shots under pressure. That's the way you really find out exactly what you need to work on."

His follow-through seemed to be bothering him the most after he bogeyed both 17 and 18 to fall off the top of the leaderboard.

But he seemed encouraged as he headed out to the practice range, hoping to hit a few balls before sunset.

"I just need a couple more tweaks here and there to feel a bit more confidence," he said.