Nick Faldo on Trump friendship, British Masters and Ryder Cup predictions

Britain’s most successful modern-day golfer Sir Nick Faldo on hosting the British Masters this week, the race for Ryder Cup places and his long-standing friendship with former US president Donald Trump.

Sir Nick Faldo may be closer than most to the Oval Office but is looking forward to Europe beginning their Ryder Cup quest to beat the Americans at this week’s British Masters.

Faldo is good friends with Donald Trump, a fact highlighted when the former US president namechecked the six-time major winner after spotting him at a recent rally in Montana. 

He and Trump, who is running to succeed Joe Biden and win a second term in the White House later this year, have known each other for 20 years through their shared love of golf.

“If you know him, he’s a really kind, caring guy,” Faldo, now a favourite with viewers on both sides of the pond for his forthright commentary, told City A.M.

“I played golf with him and my boy, Matthew. And because Matthew’s arrived with a pair of white shoes which have played 1,000 rounds, Donald says, ‘Go in the pro shop and buy yourself a new pair of shoes. Put them on the house. 

“So I said, right in front of him, ‘Matthew, he’s a billionaire. Get two pairs.’ 

“And then, bizarrely, over 10 years, he would call me Monday after a golf tournament and have a chat — ‘Heard you on TV. You were great. How did that guy win?’ Or ‘How did he lose?’ — whatever happened. And he did it a couple of times a year.”

After the Maryland shout-out, Trump even opened up to Faldo about the assassination attempt on his life in July at another rally in Pennsylvania.

“He called me after [Maryland], how about that? After all of that, he even called me up the next day and said, ‘What did you think of that? And how are you?’,” he said.

“And I asked him, ‘Well, how are you, you know, after that [the shooting]?’. He says, ‘You know, I think about it.’ He thinks about it all the time, which is not very nice, is it? So, that’s my two penny on the man.”

Faldo is hosting the British Masters which tees off on Thursday at the Belfry, scene of four Ryder Cups, most recently in 2002 when Europe regained the trophy. 

Qualification for Luke Donald’s team at next year’s match at Bethpage Black, New York, officially begins here and Faldo is hoping it inspires a European winner on Sunday.  

“It’s an important time, because Ryder Cup points start and I can tell you, as a player, you are thinking about that right from the start,” he said.

“A lot of players will be thinking about that so I hope we get a young European winner who has got the desire to make the Ryder Cup team.”

This is Faldo’s second year in a row hosting the British Masters and the fourth in succession to be staged at the Belfry. 

Tyrrell Hatton, who dazzled on his Ryder Cup debut last year, is among the entrants and one of the reasons why the 67-year-old is bullish about the game on these shores.

“We’ve got Matt Fitzpatrick who won the US Open a couple of years back, Tommy Fleetwood who just got a silver [at the Paris Olympics], I include Tyrrell as well. He made a great contribution to the Ryder Cup,” he said. 

“Bobby MacIntyre as well. Those are the leading guys and there are quite a few youngsters underneath. I’d say British golf is doing quite well in the world right now.”

One of the youngsters Faldo has high hopes for is Cornishman Harry Hall, who went to college in the US, claimed his first win on the PGA Tour last month and is playing the British Masters.

“Harry, I helped him a couple of years back. He came up to Montana, we had a little session for an afternoon, and he’s just won in America,” he said.

“I stay in touch with him. It’ll be interesting to see how well he plays. He’s the sort of guy who I think is thinking, ‘Oh, this is a good opportunity to have a great week and get my campaign for the Ryder Cup started’.”

Faldo predicted Europe’s win over the US in Rome last year but is not ready to forecast the next contest – besides that it will be a feisty one.

“Last year we got three months to go and I said, ‘Europe’s gonna win’. I called it. Four guys had a fantastic week. That’s your backbone,” he said. 

“It’s way too far to go before Bethpage. That could be a little volatile outside the ropes so they will have to turn the American crowd on their side. I think that’s the secret.”

Tickets for the 2024 Betfred British Masters are currently on sale and can be purchased by visiting: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/betfred-british-masters-2024/tickets-packages/