Faldo Wants to Win and That’s the Truth : Golf: He continues ‘comeback’ on PGA Tour at Pebble Beach this week.

PEBBLE BEACH —  Nick Faldo is putting cross-handed, but he swears that’s the only thing about him that’s cross, except possibly how he feels about English tabloid newspapers.

“You can’t believe anything,” he said. “If they get all the facts wrong about me, what happens on the front page, stories about the government?

“The Royal Family, total speculation, what the Queen has said to Prince Charles today. How do they know what the Queen has said to Prince Charles?”

What indeed? Chances are they’re discussing why the country’s best golfer left England so fast the teacups are still rattling.

Beginning today, Faldo is playing the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and continuing his comeback to the PGA Tour, which he left five years ago to play on the European Tour.

But in Europe, the tour has been criticized for losing sponsors, poor course conditions and poor practice facilities, which made it easier for Faldo to change his address.

At 37, Faldo figured there weren’t going to be that many more chances to add to his total of five major championships. He reasoned that playing the PGA Tour would better prepare him for such a goal.

So that’s another reason he’s back, not to mention those tabloids.

“They don’t want me to say it, but one of the reasons I came over here is at least I can get away from them,” Faldo said.

It’s possible there’s still another explanation. Faldo got too far away from winning.

The top-rated golfer in the world for a record 81 consecutive weeks from 1992-1994, Faldo was replaced in the Sony Rankings, first by Greg Norman and then by Nick Price.

Although Faldo was a picture of consistency in majors for a five-year period in which he never placed out of the top 20, he missed the cut at the U.S. Open at Oakmont last year.

In the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Oklahoma, Faldo tied for fourth, but he felt that he needed a change.

Faldo blamed his putter and his swing, so he tried to fix both. Last September, he began putting cross-handed. Faldo also spent time with his teaching pro, David Leadbetter, to get his swing straightened out.

As far as comebacks go, this one has started slowly. Faldo tied for 25th at Tucson and tied for 54th at Phoenix, but he expects improvement.

He said he still plans to play 11 events in Europe, but pointed out there’s no better place to play than on the PGA Tour.

“I felt I needed to try something different,” he said. “I enjoy the facilities, the golf courses, the weather, the competition.

“I felt it suited me to cut down on my traveling, come here and stay over here, the chance to really prepare for the majors.”

There were no practice rounds played all week at Pebble Beach, Poppy Hills or Spyglass because the courses were so soggy. It was sunny Wednesday for the third consecutive day after 26 consecutive days of rain that drenched the courses and caused a 150-year-old oak tree near the 14th hole to fall.

It was the same tree that Faldo climbed to retrieve a ball in the second round of the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He never found the ball and wound up tied for fourth behind winner Tom Kite.

Faldo grieved for the fallen tree.

“I loved that tree,” he said. “They should have shipped it to me and I could have planted it in my garden.”

It’s a new, more open Faldo on the tour now. This must be true because Faldo says so. Imagine how he felt when it was reported in the tabloids recently that he had fired his longtime caddie, Fanny Sunesson.

Not true, Faldo said.

“That’s a good one,” he said.

Faldo said there’s only one tabloid headline he would be surprised to see--”Nick Faldo Nice Guy.”

Maybe he’d settle for “Nick Faldo Wins Masters.” Remember, he’s working on it.

*

Comedian Bill Murray is playing here again, and he promises to be on his best behavior, not act up and antagonize anybody, so help him Deane Beman.

Last year here, Murray caused a stir when he hit a golf ball into Carmel Bay with a baseball bat, called the PGA Tour a “Nazi state” and accused then-commissioner Beman of being “just another screwhead who’s too big for his britches.”

Beman is gone, replaced by Tim Finchem, who sent two letters to Murray to smooth his feelings after taking office last summer.

Murray felt comfortable coming back, so he did. He made his reappearance Wednesday at Pebble Beach.

Murray wore a collarless striped shirt, a sleeveless green sweater, shorts, black socks and black shoes.

He announced he had just signed an exclusive clothing endorsement contract--”with Goodwill Industries.”

Murray was one group behind actor Don Johnson, who was on a green while Murray waited on the tee.

There was a loud roar from the crowd up ahead.

Said Murray: “Don Johnson just busted a coke ring up there at that green.”