A Monday press conference and a subsequent chat show revealed a catchy chemistry between the two. Indeed, there were old hands on the USPGA and the European Tours who were hard pressed to think of any past combination of Ryder Cup captains which worked so well.

On the chat show, which was hosted by Jimmy Roberts, the US television anchorman, and staged at the Muhammad Ali Centre, it was an early confession from Faldo which did much to break the ice. “I was a selfish bugger if you like,” he said, interrupting Azinger when the American was about to say what he thought of him. “My great hero was Bjorn Borg and that’s how I believed I had to be. I was totally focused.”

Azinger, in reply, more or less admitted that he had a chip on his shoulder where Faldo was concerned. It dated back to the 1987 Open at Muirfield where, he said, “I finished bogey, bogey and Nick won by one.”"That was hardly my fault,” Faldo interjected.
“You’re right,” returned Azinger, with a laugh.
There was more of the same when Azinger talked over some film footage in which Faldo was shown making a hole-in-one against him at the 14th en route to their halved single in the 1993 Ryder Cup at the Belfry. “While all the fuss was dying down,” Azinger recalled, “I went and sat on a bench at the 15th.”"That was sporting of you,” came Faldo’s sarcastic observation. “If you’d hung around, I would have signed the ball and handed it across.”

There was an equally mischievous crack from Azinger when Faldo, on being asked to describe how much the Ryder Cup meant to the golfing world, furnished the following explanation. “Let’s just say,” he began, “that if I was here talking about Faldo Enterprises, there would be just a handful of people in the room, but that when it comes to anything about the Ryder Cup, you get a crowd like this.”
“Wow,” said Azinger, with feigned incredulity, “you mean that the Ryder Cup is bigger than Faldo Enterprises?”

To no one’s disappointment, Faldo went on to say that he and Azinger would almost certainly lock horns at some point during the match. Faldo is enjoying this phase of his career, one in which all his old hopes and aspirations as a golfer are “done and dusted” and he feels free to invite other people into his life.

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