Faldo sits, awaits a hand for U.S. Open

Nick Faldo shouldn't have to beg.

The owner of six major championships, a member of the Hall of Fame and perhaps the greatest British player ever, Faldo will find out this week whether the U.S. Golf Association deems him worthy of a special exemption to the U.S. Open.

It would be his 60th consecutive major, the longest active streak in golf that began when Faldo made 18 pars in the final round to win the 1987 British Open at Muirfield.

His best chance of getting to Bethpage on his own ended Sunday at the Volvo PGA, when Faldo closed with a 69 and finished in a tie for fourth. Had he finished in a two-way tie for second, he would have gone to No. 50 in the world ranking and qualified.

Instead, he moved up only to No. 62 and has to wait, with hands out and palms up.

"Everything comes to an end," Faldo said last week, not sounding entirely optimistic. "I can't be far off a shout, but there's nothing I can do to move the process on."

The next step comes from the USGA championship committee, which began meeting Tuesday to decide whether to offer any more special exemptions before the final spots in the 156-man field are determined by a 36-hole qualifier next week.

Hale Irwin received an exemption earlier this year for the second time in his career. The first one was in 1990, and he went on to win his third U.S. Open.

The USGA historically has looked favorably upon past U.S. Open champions, from Scott Simpson in 1998 to Jack Nicklaus, who received a record eight free passes. The rest of the criteria is anyone's guess.

"It's not like we have a recipe book. You just have to base it on your gut," USGA executive director David Fay said Tuesday. "But some things are irrefutable, and one is that he's won six majors. Other than Tiger, no one as far as active players is even close."

Fay has done his homework on Faldo. He also noted that the 44-year-old Englishman has had four top 10s in the U.S. Open, his best finish coming in 1988 at The Country Club when he lost in a playoff to Curtis Strange.

Faldo won three British Opens and three Masters. He was one of the few players before Tiger Woods came along who was considered a realistic threat to win the Grand Slam. The U.S. Open figured to be the major best suited for such a methodical player whose swing was technically sound and whose course management was second to none.

Faldo was so frustrated at not being able to win a U.S. Open that he once asked four-time champion Ben Hogan how to do it.

"Shoot the lowest score," Hogan replied.

It was never that simple, but the USGA's should be: Give him an exemption.

Faldo has never needed one until now, thanks to the six majors he won between 1987 and 1996 that came with five-year exemptions to the U.S. Open. When the last one ran out at Pebble Beach in 2000, Faldo tied for seventh to qualify for the following year.

The U.S. Open is not a retirement party (Nicklaus at Pebble Beach and Arnold Palmer at Oakmont in 1994 were the exceptions). Performance still matters, which is yet another reason Faldo should get in.

While he hasn't won since 1997 at the Nissan Open, his game is showing signs of life. Faldo tied for 14th at the Masters (his best finish since he won in 1996). He tied for 11th in the Benson & Hedges International at The Belfry three weeks ago, and had another strong showing last week at Wentworth, his sixth top-15 finish this year.

"My mental approach was the best thing," he said. "There was a lot of good, positive thinking. I've felt this comfortable since the start of the year. I prepared myself well and have been playing nicely."

When the USGA championship committee starts playing phone tag to determine Faldo's fate, perhaps it should remember the players who received exemptions two years ago.

One went to Aaron Baddeley, who hasn't even made it to the Buy.com Tour.

Another went to Greg Norman.

For all the Shark's success -- two British Opens, 75 victories around the world, the only man to lose all four majors in a playoff -- his record in the majors is dwarfed by Faldo's.

The PGA Championship already has offered Faldo an exemption. He can play the British Open and the Masters until he is 65. He deserves another crack at the U.S. Open.

"If you're not going to give him one this year, I don't know when you would," Fay said.

When Nicklaus played in his 142nd consecutive major at the 1997 U.S. Open at Congressional, Faldo was amused when told he would have to play in every major until he was 65 to have a chance to match him.

"Just get my company to get me all those exemptions, and I'll be there," he said. "And give me a pair of roller skates, and maybe one of those trolleys to get up the fairways."

He doesn't need skates or a trolley, just an exemption.

That shouldn't be too much to ask.