Nick Faldo Responds To Pro’s Idea To Curb Driving Distances

Sir Nick Faldo has responded to Tour pro Scott Hend’s tongue-in-cheek contribution to the game's distance debate, which suggested playing without tees.

The six-time Major winner pointed out on Twitter that he had the same idea years ago, only to be “shot down”. Faldo wrote: “Hello! I remember getting shot down with this idea years ago! That would instantly bring back striking skills under pressure! I’d love to see who’s good enough to drive 320 off the deck on a Sunday afternoon, more power to them if they can!"

It is likely Faldo was referring to an interview he gave to podcast The Shack Show in 2020, where he said: "If they went and played a tournament with no tee pegs, right? Well, the guys would have to alter their driver. You would be allowed to place it on the grass.”

Faldo is certainly not short of ideas to address an issue that has drawn concern from several quarters over the last few years, including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Patrick Cantlay. In the same interview he also suggested reducing the size of the driver face. Explaining his reasoning, he said: “If we brought the size of the face down so there were some serious mishits… so the sweet spot for the pro is a real sweet spot, not a sweet face - that’s what it is now. It’s the whole thing!” Meanwhile, his response to Hend's idea also proposed that if tees were to remain, they could be limited to a length of one inch. 

Faldo recently retired from broadcasting to spend more time with his wife, their dogs and farm animals with a new Faldo Farm in Montana. Despite stepping away from the limelight, it seems he could yet have plenty to offer in one of the game's most long-running debates.