Faldo makes Champions Debut

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Six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo will make his American debut on the Champions Tour in the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina, on Thursday.

The 56-year-old played in this year's Open Championship at Muirfield after a three-year break, but missed the cut after rounds of 78 and 79.

"I think I'm here to find out how well could I play," said Faldo, who added he has played only 50 rounds since 2010.

Another rookie in the field is Colin Montgomerie, who turned 50 in July.

Faldo has appeared in two previous British Senior Open tournaments, finishing in a share of 14th at Muirfield in 2007 and tied for 38th at Sunningdale in 2009.

This year he entered The Open at Muirfield for the first time since missing the cut at St Andrews in 2010, but finished 15 over for two rounds.

"If you saw Muirfield, it was impossible,'' said Faldo, who won three Open titles and three Masters, the last of which was in 1996.

"I enjoyed the process of training for the Open Championship and was happy with my effort after limited training.

"This is the first time I've entertained thoughts of committing myself and playing again. I look forward to the preparation and testing my competitive skills again.

"That's the biggest thrill of this game, going out there and feeling really nervous, apprehensive, everything, but you know you can go out and play your heart out, that's what you're trying to do. So, if we can rekindle that a bit here, it will be fun."

Faldo's last individual tournament victory was the 1997 Nissan Open at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles and he is now based in the United States, where he is the lead analyst for CBS and the Golf Channel.

Asked about his aims for this week, Faldo - who will play alongside Americans Tom Kite and Kenny Perry in the opening round at the Prestonwood Country Club - said: "I hope I can get my name on that leaderboard and see what it feels like again. That was always the thrill in my playing career.'"

Nick Faldo's major record

Masters: Won in 1989, 1990 & 1996

US Open: 2nd,in 1988

The Open: Won in 1987, 1990 & 1992

PGA: Tied for 2nd in 1992

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Couples Confirms Euro Senior Debut

Fred Couples, the former World Number One and Masters Champion, has confirmed that he will make his debut in The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex when it returns to Turnberry from July 26-29.

The 52 year old American, who on Wednesday was named one of Davis Love III’s Assistant Captains for The 2012 Ryder Cup, joins an impressive field over the Ailsa Course next month, including Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer and Greg Norman, who this week also confirmed he will return to Turnberry where he won The 1986 Open Championship.

With the deadline for discounted advanced tickets due to expire on July 1, now is the time to secure your place at Scotland’s only Major Championship this summer, and see Couples, Norman, Watson and many more of the game’s all-time great names in action.

Couples, who played in five Ryder Cups, will be hoping for immediate success in The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex, having come so close to winning The Claret Jug on several occasions. 

He finished tied third in The 1991 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale following a final round 64, and was tied third again in 2005 at St Andrews.

The 1992 Masters Tournament winner finished in the top ten in The Open Championship on nine occasions, and he is hoping to use that experience of links golf as the foundation for his Turnberry bid next month.

“Turnberry's a phenomenal course,” said Couples, who will captain the US Presidents Cup Team for a third time in 2013. “I played in The Open there the year Greg Norman won, and he shot an unbelievable score one day. So, you know, whether it's the Women's Open, the regular Open or The Senior Open Championship at Turnberry, it's going to be a hard, hard course, especially when the wind blows. 

“Any of those links courses are hard. The first year I turned 50 I had to skip The Senior Open because the US Open was in Seattle where I grew up, and it was the week after. And then last year I was not playing golf in July or August, so I didn't go. But this year I'm going and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I've been associated with Rolex forever and they're a sponsor of it, so I talked to them at the US Open and said I’m going to play.

“The people in Scotland are so enthusiastic and we get great crowds. When the wind is blowing and, say, if you have a five iron and you just get it on the green, they think it's a great shot and so do we. So they know what is going on. It's very difficult. I don't know how they'll set Turnberry up, but it will be a great week.”

American Russ Cochran won The 2011 Senior Open Championship at Walton Heath, England, holding off the challenge of former Open Champion Mark Calcavecchia, three-time Senior Open Champion Watson and 2010 United States Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin.

Watson will be returning to Turnberry where he won The Open Championship in 1977, defeating Jack Nicklaus in the famous ‘Duel in the Sun’, and The Senior Open Championship in 2003, defeating Carl Mason in a play-off. He also came agonisingly close to winning the Claret Jug over the Ailsa Course in 2009 at the age of 59, losing in a play-off to compatriot Stewart Cink.