Six-times major winner Nick Faldo gave himself 11 out of 10 after shooting a third round seven-under-par 65 yesterday to take a one-stroke lead in the Heineken Classic.
The 45-year-old Briton, who has not won a tournament since the 1997 Nissan Open on the USTour, has a three-round total of 11-under-par 205 to lead three players by one shot including fellow Englishman Paul Casey.
"That was a really good day ... For me at my age? That was 11 [out of 10]," Faldo told reporters.
PHOTO: AFP
"It would be great to just go out there and show them that there is plenty of the old Faldo still in me. That's very important."
Casey, 25, the overnight leader, had a 2-over-par 74 including a double-bogey on the par-four 13th hole after earlier rounds of 65 and 67.
Australia's Peter Lonard and Sweden's Niclas Fasth were also one stroke behind the rejuvenated Faldo.
Britons Steve Webster and David Lynn are two shots behind the leader on 9-under-par 207.
World number two and Heineken Classic defending champion Ernie Els and New Zealand's David Smail are next on eight under.
Faldo, who has been married three times and has three children, is to be a father for the fourth time after his wife of two years Valerie recently fell pregnant.
"Yes I got some very nice news. Miss V and I are very excited," Faldo said. "It completes a happy package."
He said he had cleared his head of excess baggage in recent months and was happy to just be thinking about golf on the course.
Faldo went out in 31 including three birdies and an eagle on the par-five ninth when he made a 12m putt from the left edge of the green. He had two more birdies on the inward nine in a bogey-free round of 65. "I holed a monster [on the ninth]," he said.
"I've had a few things going on in my life which has cluttered the brain up well and truly. Last year I made a good commitment to get things back and I've still been working on things."
South African Els, who carded seven birdies, said, "Tee to green, I was back to where I was maybe a couple of weeks ago.
"The rhythm and everything started to fall into place a little bit more today.
"It was very disappointing to bogey the [par-four] 18th. I need some serious magic on the last day."
Els, 33, has won twice on the USTour already this year.
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