Nick Faldo’s 30th RBC Heritage Anniversary Turns Pear Shape.

Nick Faldo’s 30th year anniversary of his first PGA Tour victory was hardly cause for celebration in crashing to tail of the field on day one of the RBC Heritage Classic in South Carolina.

The six-time Major’s winner has by-passed the senior’s tour to play a handful of main tour events in coming months.

However Faldo had just one birdie but also five bogeys and a double bogey in his round of a six over par 77 on the Harbor (No. U) Town Golf Links course at Hilton Head.

It sent the 56-year old to 128th place and a dozen shots behind in-form American Matt Kuchar.

“This was the first event I won in America, so I thought it would be a cool place to return, and I thought Hilton Head in theory is perfect for me,” he said.

“It’s through the trees.  It’s dead flat, and I pick courses now that are flat, because I’ve got dodgy knees.”

Faldo doesn’t plan to end his season in Hilton Head. In July, he has an invitation to play in the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic, followed by the Scottish Open and British Open.

Faldo last played a non-major PGA Tour event in 2006, when he played in six including the Heritage and made one cut before withdrawing from that event prior to the final round.

Since 2006, Faldo has missed the cut in four British Open appearances and tied for 14th and 38th in a pair of Senior British Opens in 2007 and ’09. That’s it for competitive golf. “Time flies,” he said.

He made his debut in a non-major Champions Tour event last month and tied for 53rd in the Mississippi Golf Resort Classic with three rounds between 72 and 74.

Newly-married US-based Scot Russell Knox is the best of the strong European contingent posting a two under par 69.

Surrey’s Paul Casey competed alongside Knox and American Will MacKenzie, and while disappointed to shoot a three over par 74, Casey joked he found himself in a difficult situation at times during the round.

“I’ve only just become engaged myself while Russell was saying he got married last Saturday but then I know Will is going through divorce,” said Casey smiling.



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