NICK FALDO is getting good and boring again.

The Briton won the Nissan Open by three strokes yesterday, shooting a three-under-par 68 at the Riviera Country Club in California and methodically wearing down the opposition.

"They used to write that I was mechanical and boring, I'm getting close to that again," Faldo said. "I feel really good about things. This week I played as solid as I've ever played."

The victory was Faldo's sixth on the PGA Tour but was his first anywhere since the Masters in 1996. He earned $252,000.

Craig Stadler, the defending champion, began the round only one stroke behind Faldo, but never managed to make a move, shooting 70 and finishing second.

"It was a good thing playing with Craig," said Faldo. "He was really playing aggressively and trying to get back to me. It made me keep going, trying to keep matching him so he didn't gain on me.

Faldo opened with a birdie at the first hole and added birdies at five, 10 and 11 to open a five-stroke lead. His only notable error of the day came when he bogeyed the 15th hole.

Tiger Woods shot a 69 and tied for 20th.