Open Championship will be 'brute of a test'

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The Scot, who has an academy at the Ayrshire venue, said: "They had a medal there for the members - 150 starters - and they left 480 balls on the course.

"That's over three a player and it proves that, although the fairways were generous, avoid the rough at all costs.

"It's a shot-maker's golf course. I didn't lose a ball, which was good, but it can only be worse now than when I played 10 days ago."

Ernie Els, winner at Muirfield in 2002, added: "I was there for two days and that could be quite a beast if the wind comes up.

"They must have had a lot of rain - it's very lush, very green and that's why the rough is so high.

"You're probably going to have to have a good game plan, probably play quite safe off the tees to get it in play.

"The secret to playing good links golf is having a good strategy, sticking with that and having a lot of patience."

Els and Montgomerie will be lining up at the Barclays Scottish Open in Loch Lomond today as they fine tune their preparations for next week's major.

Boo Weekley is also concerned the weather could affect the American challenge next week.

The 35-year-old said: "It's going to be interesting because the Europeans are more adaptive to playing in a colder atmosphere with a little bit of rain."