R&A rejig course layout for Open

THE chances of Tiger Woods losing a ball with his first shot in this year’s Open Championship — as he did the last time the event was at Sandwich — have been severely reduced.

With less than 30% of all drives finishing on the fairway in 2003, the landing area has been widened by about 12 yards.

Woods started with a triple bogey seven — fellow American Jerry Kelly had an 11 — and ended the week two strokes behind shock winner Ben Curtis.