Woods begins his preparations

Published on Sunday 12 July 2009 23:01

TIGER Woods arrived in Ayrshire yesterday to begin familiarising himself with Turnberry – the course he hopes will be the scene of his 15th major.

Woods, who had never before set foot on the course, is the red-hot 2-1 favourite with bookmakers to win back the Claret Jug – won for the past two years by Irishman Padraig Harrington, and he looked comfortable as he limbered on the links.

The American world No1 has always been meticulous in his preparation and has long relished the challenge of links courses golf in Britain. A winner of three Opens already, he is looking forward to tackling Turnberry's Ailsa course, which will be staging the championship for the first time since Zimbabwe's Nick Price lifted the Claret Jug in 1994.

"I've never played it, never been to it," Woods said before his arrival at the spectacular par-70 Ayrshire layout. "I've only seen it on TV, and there's only so much you can see on videotape.

"The whole idea before I get there is to have everything dialled in, feel comfortable with my swing and my short putting, then start getting the feel for how to play over there.

"Once I get there, I do more prep work on the greens and make sure I truly understand how to play the golf course."

Woods won his first Open at St Andrews in 2000 before enjoying further success at St Andrews in 2005 and Hoylake in 2006.

The American world No1 triumphed in his final PGA Tour starts before both the US Masters in April and last month's US Open without going on to secure victory in the two majors that followed. Asked if that unusual sequence had crossed his mind, Woods replied with a broad grin: "It has now".

He tied for sixth at the Masters after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational and again shared sixth spot at the US Open, having claimed the Memorial title two weeks earlier.

Since then he has played in just one more event, emerging triumphant by one stroke at the AT&T National which he hosts in suburban Washington DC.

Having not won a major since his remarkable play-off victory over compatriot Rocco Mediate at last year's US Open, Woods will be banking on third time lucky this season at Turnberry.

Joining Woods in the field at late notice will be Australia's Rod Pampling. As he watched the fluctuations on the leaderboard on the final day of the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond yesterday, Pampling found a measure of comfort in the quality of the players vying for the title.

There was a spot in the Open available to the highest ranked non-exempt player in the field, but only if that individual finished in the top five.

"There were eight or nine guys on the leaderboard and I knew all those guys were in," recalled the man who stood to benefit as first reserve if no one pinched that berth.

"It was unfortunate for the other guys who were trying to get in, but for me it was nice to see exempt players up there."

A member of the PGA Tour as well as the European circuit, Pampling crossed the Atlantic in a last ditch effort to participate in the oldest major.

"I came over here trying to play my way in, and it didn't work out," he recalled. "But I was looking at the leaderboard and normally they have the little Claret Jug that tells you who is in and who is not. I kind of picked everyone who was in. Raphael Jacquelin I wasn't too sure about, but then I found out he was already in.

"I knew I was first reserve. Someone from entries (at the R&A] called me on Sunday morning and let me know I was No1. So I knew there was one spot."

Pampling, 73 for the five under par total of 279, is perhaps best known in these parts for shooting 71 on the first day of the championship at Carnoustie to lead the Open ten years ago. He promptly missed the cut on the Friday after running up 86 in the second round.

"Thankfully we have been back (to Carnoustie] and I rectified that (he was 27th in 2007]," he added. "I guess the golf course was slightly more friendly last time. We all know it was one of those golf courses. Supposedly the rough is up again from what I've heard, so we'll get (to the Open] and see what we find. I've never been to Turnberry before but this is my sixth consecutive Open."

Earlier in the day, Japan's Shingo Katayama had become the sixth exempt player to withdraw from the Open – leaving the door wide open for Pampling to take his place.

Katayama has an upper back problem and has been replaced by American Steve Marino, who will be making his Open debut.

Also missing from the field are world No2 Phil Mickelson, last year's Masters champion Trevor Immelman, last season's European No1 Robert Karlsson, New Zealander Tim Wilkinson and American Dudley Hart.