Faldo hints at Open swansong after missing cut

Three-times champion Nick Faldo hinted that he could have played his final British Open after shooting a second-round 78 to miss the cut on Friday.

The 56-year-old Briton, twice a champion at Muirfield, played the opening two rounds with veteran Americans Tom Watson and Fred Couples and carded a total of 15 over par.

"This is where it started with the Opens," Faldo told reporters. "Maybe this is the right place to end it."

The former world number one was bullish about the experience of playing in the Open, his first competitive appearance for three years.

"It was great," said Faldo who is now a full-time TV commentator. "I had a good day, it's brutal out there. I only hit one bad shot on 11. And between that I dropped four shots between those couple of holes, with one bad shot.

"It's a grinding fun. The whole experience was great. I've loved it. I came up here Sunday morning, like the good old days as if I was trying to win, played lots of practice rounds."

Faldo, who waved to the crowd as he enjoyed a standing ovation walking up to the final green, said he would take a few memories from his two days back in the limelight.

"Yeah, plenty of highlights," he said. "I've been serious, that view standing on the first tee yesterday was great. Coming up the last with Tom. I hit a couple of great shots."

Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images