Woods: Scot needs credit

Lawrie won at Carnoustie back in 1999, but most people remember that Open for the way Jean Van de Velde squandered a three-shot lead on the final hole.

Woods said: "People remember Jean for what he did rather than Paul coming from 10 down and winning a play-off. It's unfortunate, very unfortunate."

Woods is 3-1 favourite with most bookmakers to lift his third successive Claret Jug, a feat last achieved by Peter Thomson more than half a century ago.

He was due to start his fourth practice round today, once more at the crack of dawn to avoid the attention which inevitably surrounds him.

But he insisted the course was much fairer than when Lawrie lifted the trophy 31 major tournaments ago when irate players gave the Angus links, with its punishing rough and narrow fairways, the sobriquet of 'Carnasty.'

"It's extremely fair," said Woods. "Not like it was in 1999. It's probably a little more difficult than it was in the Scottish Opens I played.

"If we have any kind of wind on this golf course it just becomes a lot more difficult than you think. You really have to hit the ball well here. The greens are extremely subtle, just like all links courses they are hard to read."

Woods also said he would like to see the Ryder Cup played on a links course.

"That would be nice," he said. "Yes, I wish we played more golf courses like this. The only thing that's different about playing the Tour week in and week out is probably the rough length. The golf courses are virtually the same. All the players enjoy going back to the old-style courses now and then."