SOUTHPORT, England (AP) -Royal Birkdale has been lengthened by 155 yards to a total of 7,173 yards for this year's British Open. Tiger Woods might still be able to tame the course without using his driver.
The course is still short by modern championship standards.
Woods won at nearby Hoylake two years ago while using his driver only once the whole week.
Royal & Ancient secretary Peter Dawson said Tuesday it's possible Woods could do it again at Birkdale.
"I don't think he'd get up in two at the (499-yard) sixth if it were into the wind, or the (544 yard) 15th if he took an iron into the wind," Dawson said. "But Tiger's course management is certainly not for me to second guess.
"He'll play the course on the day as he sees fit. If he sees hitting the fairways as the way around, that's what he'll no doubt do. But I don't think that this golf course you could accuse of being a short course or a course that intends to take the driver out of the player's hands. Far from it."
Hoylake was rock-hard after a dry spell in 2006 and Woods took advantage to win by two shots over Chris DiMarco.
Dawson said the R&A would love similar conditions this year.
"We are looking for hard, fast links conditions. We always do," he said. "If we have a good dry period we'll get the hard, fast conditions with rough that's perhaps not quite as juicy. If it rains a lot, it won't be hard and fast but the rough will be more severe. That's just the way it is every year."
Changes have made to 16 of the 18 holes since the Open was last played at Birkdale in 1998, when Mark O'Meara won.
Tees have been moved back on the 3rd, 6th, 11th and 16th holes with the green moved back at the 17th. Other changes have involved the movement or addition of fairway bunkers or mounds and swales around the greens to provide more runoffs from the greens or generally tighten up the course.
Announcement of prize money was delayed because of the general uncertainly about exchange rates. Padraig Harrington received 750,000 pounds (US$1.5 million based on current exchange rates) for his victory at Carnoustie last year, 1,000 percent more than the 750 pounds Australian Peter Thomson won in 1954 when the Open was played at Birkdale for the first time.
Dawson said there was great concern over the slow pace of play in the sport, although he pointed out that the final pairings at the last two Opens finished in 3 hours, 45 minutes and 3:50 respectively.
Final groups in this year's Masters at Augusta took 5 hours, 10 minutes to complete their rounds. The problem is up for discussion at an international meeting of golf federations in the U.S. after the Players Championship next month.
