The Masters Interview: Nick Faldo

All the talk leading up to the Masters has been the strength of the European players. Who of them do you like for success at Augusta?
Well they’re all in with a shot, aren’t they? [Lee] Westwood, as he showed last year, knows his way around now; Luke Donald is putting beautifully, so if he can maintain that he’ll have a chance. Then there’s [Ian] Poulter and Paul Casey’s game has always suited Augusta. I thought when [Alvaro] Quiros won the other month [in Dubai], with his length, if he can keep it straight, then he’ll have such short irons into the greens that he could be another. Rory [McIlroy] seems to have gone off the boil of late, but he, like Casey, is one that you expect to do well there. And of course Martin Kaymer. He’s the world number one and he doesn’t get fazed easily, which is a huge attribute to have.

Do you take any credit for Kaymer’s rise, given his work – particularly the strategic and mental aspects of the game – with Fanny Sunesson, your former caddie?
It’s funny. I saw him the other week hit a chip shot and thought, ‘hey, that looks like me.’ But it was a very smart move getting involved with Fanny; she’s helped him a lot and they do a lot of good work together. She’s taken the experience of working with me for 10 years and passing on aspects of what she learned to him. He has essentially been fast tracked. Martin is a fine player with a great mind.

And a final word on Tiger Woods. Can he contend at the Masters, despite the swing changes he’s going through?
It’s going to be very hard, because he just doesn’t look comfortable. You can never say never with Tiger but he has hit so many shots recently that for him are sideways. When you go from hitting it perfectly – which he did for so long – to not being able to control it like you want to then it can affect you mentally as well. There’s not much confidence there. And his putting will have to get a whole lot better very soon. You can’t win at Augusta without putting unbelievably well, and he has been struggling on the greens. It’ll be a struggle, but on the plus side few know the course better.