Superficially, not much changes. The European Tour, as is its wont, begins new-season operations 6,000 miles from Europe here in Thailand, and Nick Faldo, as is his wont, is still working on his putting stroke.

In fact, the first sight of Faldo in 1998 saw him peering into a video viewfinder, watching an instant action replay of half a dozen attempts to hole from 20 feet.

None went in, of course, but Faldo never ceases to try and turn golf, and putting in particular, into the science it is not and never can be.

But, appearances notwithstanding, all is not quite the same in golf in 1998. The Blue Canyon golf club, host this week to the first tournament of the new year, the Johnny Walker Classic, is one of the world's beautiful places. It is full of frangipani trees and bougainvillea bushes, lovely to look at and sweetly scented too, but it is populated this week by persons fully aware of one great difference in their lives.

He is called Tiger Woods. This week, physically, he is playing in Thailand. But every week his influence is possible to detect. You can see it in the more serious faces of the world's top players as they go through their preparation routines and you can hear it in their voices as they talk about their approach to their profession.

Yesterday it was Faldo's turn to elucidate the changes to his way of life since the advent of the man popularly regarded as golf's new messiah. The Englishman speaks in a coded language that would do any politician proud, but there was no doubt as to whom he meant when he said that he was working hard "to keep up with the whippersnappers".

Woods is a fully-fledged whippersnapper, whipping drives out well beyond the 300 yards mark and then snapping his irons - much shorter ones than most - so close to the pins that frequent birdies are inevitable.

"I'm working harder than I have for years," said Faldo, a recognised golfaholic whose work-rate has made many of his peers wince over the years. The 40-year-old added: "I feel I'm getting better technically. I'm probably at about 80 per cent or so effectiveness at the moment, but it's the last 10 per cent which is the key bit. Without that the whole year can be a struggle."

Faldo reckoned that his 1998 season began in November 1997, when he started working all day, every day with his coach, David Leadbetter, at their base at Lake Nona, Florida. "I've been beating a lot of balls," said Faldo. "I perhaps didn't do enough of that last year." To help keep up with the whippersnappers, Faldo has also acquired a new driver. "Don't ask me what it means," he said, "but it's got an active kick shaft. Whatever it is, it's given me another 10 yards in carry off the tee, maybe 15. It's that distance through the air that's important in America. You don't get much roll there, and if you're going to keep up with the rest you've got to be able to carry a few dog-legs, cut a few corners."

Cutting dog-legs are the only corners Faldo cuts, for this is a man dedicated to his job. "I go to the gym for an hour every morning, I go to the range for three hours after that and then I play in the afternoon.

"I'm going through a check-list, to get everything in the swing organised and in shape by March." Why March? Because April is the month after that, and contains the US Masters. "Majors, majors, majors," said Faldo, "those are my goals for 1998."

Of course the whippersnappers, Woods, and the likes of Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn will be out to deny him and may not be denied for much longer. But if anyone, through application and perspiration, can keep them at bay for a little while, Nick Faldo is that man.