Woods looking forward to Hoylake challenge

Tiger Woods is relishing the challenge of a “hard and fast” Hoylake as he bids to defend his Open title this week.

The recent spell of hot weather means the course will provide a true test of links golf, while signs warning of the risk of fire have been posted around the course.

“It’s going to be a fantastic challenge this week to play a golf course this fast,” said Woods, who won by five shots at St Andrews last year.

“We don’t get a chance to do this very often, but when we do it sure brings shot making and creativity back into the game. You have to be able to control your golf ball in the air, control your spin.

“It’s not like you can go out there and hit a marginal shot and expect it to be okay. You come in with a wrong spin in the fairways or even on the greens and you’re going to pay a consequence of that.”

Consecutive rounds of 76 saw Woods miss the cut in a Major for the first time as a professional in last month’s US Open, although there were extenuating circumstances.

The 30-year-old went into the event after an unprecedented nine-week lay-off following the death of his father Earl in May, and was understandably rusty on an extremely demanding course. Woods is making no excuses, however.

“I was ready to compete, there was no doubt about that, and I just didn’t play well,” Woods insisted.

“I just didn’t get into the competitive flow fast enough. By the time I did get into the flow of the round I was behind the eight-ball.

“Taking that much time off and then coming back to the hardest US Open venue we’ve ever played made it really difficult. I didn’t execute fast enough. If I had gotten down to a flow a little earlier things might have been different.”

Woods still remains favourite to win the first Open to be staged here since 1967, and finished second in the Western Open a fortnight ago before making the journey to Hoylake a little earlier than usual.

“I came over earlier than I normally would because no one had seen it,” added Woods, who has been paired with Nick Faldo and Shingo Katayama for the opening two rounds.

“There’s no video of it, no one has ever seen this course.

“I took a lot of time off prior to the US Open and I wasn’t hitting the ball as well as I wanted to in competition. But I fixed those things prior to the Western Open and got back into the competitive flow again.

“I got things going and it’s nice when you play four rounds so I feel like I’m back into playing again.”