Charming Faldo a major attraction

Lanny Wadkins will tee it up tomorrow in the SAS Championship in Cary, N.C., just his 11th Champions Tour event of the season.

If it sounds like the schedule of a part-time golfer, it is.

Come next year, however, Wadkins will have a chance to play golf full-time because his tenure as CBS's lead golf analyst has come to an end. Wadkins, 56, has been replaced by Nick Faldo, the three-time Masters and British Open champion who has made such an impact the last few years working for ABC.

Since ABC isn't involved in the PGA Tour's new TV contract, which begins in 2007, Faldo was a free agent of sorts and he has cashed in. Already signed to be the lead analyst for The Golf Channel, Faldo makes a terrific CBS team even stronger, and assures himself of one hectic 2007 season. That's because in addition to the first three events of the season with TGC, Faldo is lined up for 21 with CBS, many of those weeks including double duty because TGC will handle Thursday and Friday coverage.

``I'm extremely honored and flattered to be given this opportunity," said Faldo, who has come full cycle from his playing days when he was hardly a media darling. His run-ins with the media in his native England were legendary and it was suggested that Faldo only cared about his golf.

To some extent, he concedes that was the truth.

``I was a good, honest, fierce competitor," he said. ``I was there to win, blinders on, keep the head down and get on with it, so to speak. It was the best way I knew."

You'd have to agree it worked, because the focused Faldo won six major championships and will forever be remembered for the last of his three Masters titles, that fateful Sunday when he shot 67 to Greg Norman's 78, turning a six-shot deficit into a five-stroke win. Stunning accomplishments, but so is the transformation that has taken place during his stint with ABC. Faldo has been charming, lighthearted, informative, and very much a media sensation.

``The character you see [now] was always me," Faldo said.

Not as biting as Johnny Miller on NBC, but every bit as good, and potentially better. Unlike Miller, who thinks every putt is makable and every shot simple, Faldo is closer to the game and offers analysis that is more about insight and less about criticism.

If there is a downside to the arrangement, it is that after 23 Masters appearances, his playing days at Augusta National are over, for now. Instead, Faldo will be beside Jim Nantz in the CBS tower at the 18th green. ``I will not be playing," Faldo said. ``It shows my commitment [to the CBS job]."

Not that he's putting the clubs away. Instead, looking ahead to his 50th birthday next July, Faldo confirmed he'll play the British Open (as a former champ, he's exempt through the age of 65), then head right for the British Senior Open, and sprinkle in some Champions Tour stops thereafter. ``My playing days aren't completely over," he said, ``but my priority now is given to CBS."

Tony Petitti, the executive vice president of CBS Sports, said Wadkins ``had a place on our team, but it was his decision [to decline]. He wants to play more golf."

While Wadkins had his critics, he proved a smooth and able replacement four years ago for Ken Venturi, who had clearly slipped in his last few seasons. But just as CBS's golf team improved with Wadkins replacing Venturi, it improves even more with Faldo taking over for Wadkins. His British accent is easy on the ears and he should mix well with Englishman Peter Oosterhuis and Irishman David Feherty, who will continue to be the best entertainment in golf next to Tiger Woods.

Speaking of which, how does Faldo analyze the PGA Tour landscape with Woods clearly in command?

``He's in control of the speed of the race," Faldo said.

It would be hard to argue that Adam Scott hasn't had a superb season, given his numbers. In 17 PGA Tour tournaments he has missed just one cut, earned $3,808,858, recorded three second-place finishes, three thirds, nine top-10s, and shot sub-70 in 26 of his 62 stroke-play rounds. No wonder the 26-year-old Aussie has achieved his highest ranking in the world (fourth), although he sheepishly concedes he's like everyone else -- miles away from No. 1. ``He's phenomenal. He's dominating the game," said Scott, referring, of course, to Woods. Scott made the comment after Woods had blitzed the field at the American Express Championship to win by an astounding eight shots and run his PGA Tour winning streak to six. ``We're all up against it. I've got to start playing in the events he doesn't play in, that's for sure," Scott said. His point is valid, because of Scott's 17 starts, 12 have been in tournaments that included Woods, who won seven of those . . . So, when will Woods pursue his seventh straight win? Definitely not in the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, which tees off today, and unlikely next week for the Bose Championship at Las Vegas. The following week (Oct. 19-22) is the stop at Disney World, a tournament Woods has played every fall since turning pro in 1996, except when he got married in 2004. OK, he's won twice at Disney, but there's no guarantee he'll be there this year, especially given the recent stretch in which he played six weeks out of seven. If he skips Disney, the chase for No. 7 would resume Nov. 2-5 at the Tour Championship in Atlanta . . . PGA Tour officials have told Darren Clarke that his full-exempt status is secure, despite the fact he will not have played the minimum 15 tournaments. Clarke missed a good portion of the summer to be with his wife, Heather, who died of cancer Aug. 13. ``The PGA Tour has been kind to me and unbelievably fair," said Clarke.

Michael Welch probably knew golf wasn't fair. It's just that he happened to travel to France to find out for sure. ``Completely my fault. You live and learn, but I'll never get that mad again," said the Quincy native after his bid to get through the European PGA Tour's Qualifying Tournament ended in disqualification. Playing at Golf de Moliets in southern France, the first-year pro was 2 under through 14 before ending with three bogeys over the final four holes. Upset at the sloppy finish, he concedes he just didn't study his scorecard, that he merely signed it and went on his way. Before he teed off the next day, his playing competitor asked him what he made on 18 the day before. Welch said bogey and the young man began apologizing, because he had put down a par 4. ``I told him, `It's not your fault,' that I let my aggression get the better of me," said Welch, who had signed for 72 when he shot 73. He told an official, knowing it meant a DQ, and off he went. ``It took me a couple of days to get over it, but I'm fine. It was an expensive lesson." . . . Back on American soil, Welch shot 75 yesterday to get into a tie for 41st, 11 shots behind leader Robert Oppenheim (66--133) of Andover, through two rounds in the final New England Pro Golf Tour event of the season, the Greater Atlantic City Open in New Jersey.

Two-time US Open champion Lee Janzen finished third at last weekend's Southern Farm Bureau Classic, his best effort since being second at the Memorial in 2003. He played 86 tournaments in between, most of them forgettable for the 42-year-old Janzen, who has struggled with his game. He had missed the cut in 16 of his previous 23 starts before playing solidly to earn $204,000 in Mississippi and move from 202d to 168th on the money list . . . Though he recorded his best score in 46 rounds this season, a 65, John Daly failed to move up the money list. He faded with a final-round 76 at the Southern Farm and wound up tied for 57th, earning just $6,690. He remained 190th on the money list, so his full-exempt status is in jeopardy . . . Perhaps no one has appreciated turning 50 like Chip Beck. Author of one of the few 59s in a PGA Tour event, Beck from 1997-2006 played in 120 PGA Tour events and compiled a measly $221,757. In his first two events as a senior, Beck has finished joint fifth and third and totaled $190,000 . . . For a guy who won five times in 43 tournaments in his first two years on the Champions Tour, Mark McNulty has been quiet in 2006. The native of Zimbabwe is winless in 22 starts, with just two top-10s. He finished second in May, but hasn't been better than joint 13th in 14 starts since. Having had the best stroke-play average a year ago, McNulty is 29th in that department this year . . . Chris Riley, when asked about his berth on the 2004 Ryder Cup team and whether he has used that as incentive to make it back there: ``You know what? There really isn't. I know that's sad to say. That was the best thing I've ever done in golf, but if I never make another one, it's not the end of the world to me."

Three of the four candidates for LPGA Player of the Year honors -- Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam, Cristie Kerr -- are not in this week's tournament in Mexico, though the fourth one is. For good reason, too, because Lorena Ochoa is sort of a folk hero in her native Mexico . . . Kelli Kuehne hadn't finished top 20 since September 2004, now she has done so twice in her past three starts . . . Libby Smith, the pride of the University of Vermont, finished tied for 42d at the Longs Drug Challenge, just the third time in 20 starts she has earned a check. Also tied for 42d was South Dennis's Carri Wood, who made just her fourth cut in 12 starts . . . Brittany Lincicome made $500,000 for her match-play win in July; she's made a mere $54,592 in six tournaments since . . . Grace Park shot 76-80 at the Longs, but missed the cut in her first start since the LPGA Championship in June. Park had been out of action because of neck and back injuries . . . Alongside Park was another LPGA Tour returnee, Greg Johnston, the longtime caddie whose tenure with Michelle Wie lasted less than a year. Johnston was relieved of his duties shortly after Wie played in the Women's British Open . . . Perhaps the most disappointed player at the Longs Drug Challenge was Natalie Gulbis. The event wasn't far from her hometown of Sacramento, so she left plenty of tickets for friends and family members, then had to withdraw with an infection in a finger on her right hand . . . Kelly Robbins, once a Tour stalwart, missed the cut for the 12th time in 14 starts this year . . . There are few among us who can lay claim to having played with the one and only Bobby Jones, but Louise Suggs is one. So it's perhaps fitting the 83-year-old LPGA Tour legend was named winner of the USGA's Bob Jones Award, given annually to a person for distinguished sportsmanship to the game of golf. Suggs won 11 major championships during her brilliant career, including two US Women's Opens and an LPGA Championship. Like Jones, she is a native of Atlanta, though she lives now in St. Augustine, Fla. . . . Congratulations to Jane Welch and her daughter Tracy, both of whom will be participating in USGA championships. Jane earned a spot into the US Women's Senior Amateur, which gets under way Saturday at the Seaside Course at Sea Island, Ga., while Tracy qualified for the US Women's Mid-Amateur Championship, Oct. 21-26, at Old Waverly GC in West Point, Miss.

Golf never ceases to offer wonder, and for proof go no further than Ed Desmond, who has been playing 70 of his 80 years. Most of that time he played to a single-digit handicap, but it wasn't until recently that Desmond recorded his first hole-in-one, a 7-wood at the 170-yard 17th at George Wright Golf Course in Hyde Park. It came while he played in the club's Donald Ross League, but to prove it was no fluke, Desmond also added birdies at two other par 3s . . . At Ridder Country Club in Whitman, Bob Sullivan of Quincy used a 5-wood to ace the 177-yard 13th . . . Jamie Neher of Weston capped an impressive stretch on the Gateway Tour's summer schedule by winning the season finale, his fourth triumph . . . Liz Janangelo of West Hartford, Conn., finished tied for 19th at 7-over 295, but it was good enough to get through the first stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament at Rancho Mirage, Calif. . . . Scott Hickey's tidy 3-under 67 provided him with a four-stroke win at Haverhill CC during the NEPGA's Northeast Pro-Am Week. The Norton CC pro also won the team event. Continuing the series at Ferncroft CC in Danvers, Bob Green of Tedesco CC and Paul Parajeckas of Leo J. Martin GC matched 72s to share low pro honors . . . It took months to complete, but Frank Dully of Kernwood CC in Salem and Gary Young of Pleasant Valley CC in Sutton scored a 2-and-1 triumph over the Bay Pointe CC entry of Mick Herron and Tom Tobey in the final of the NEPGA Pro-Pro Match Play Championship. The final had been postponed because of rain in May and had to wait for the busy summer to pass before it was rescheduled . . . The hosts from the University of Rhode Island finished tied for second with the University of Hartford in the annual Adams Cup of Newport. South Florida won the team event. Individually, Ben Spitz of URI shot 74-71-72--217 to finish joint third, the low New Englander . . . At the Dartmouth Invitational, Brendon Ray of Norfolk continued his stellar play as the Central Connecticut senior shot 71-73 to take medalist honors. Binghamton won the team title, with Central Connecticut second, host Dartmouth third, and Harvard sixth . . . Princeton's Annika Welander won her second event of the fall season, shooting 76-70 at the Yale Women's Fall Intercollegiate. Princeton took the team title, with Harvard second, and Yale third. Chelsea Curtis, of New Seabury CC and Georgetown University, finished tied for seventh.