TIGER WOODS HAS branded the rough at Royal Lytham and St Annes as ‘unplayable’ prior to the opening round of the British Open on Thursday.
Britain’s wet summer has resulted in knee-high rough around the Lancashire-based course and Woods is just one of many golfers to have complained.
After his first practice round at the British Open venue, the 36-year-old was scathing when asked about the rough.
Oh my God! It’s just that you can’t get out of it,” Woods said. ”I’ve never seen the rough this high or thick and dense. The bottom six inches is so lush.
“The wispy stuff, we’ve always faced that at every Open, but that bottom six inches, in some places it’s almost unplayable.”
Woods spent five hours practicing at Royal Lytham and St Annes and despite his concerns regarding the rough, he is looking forward to the classic challenge of the British Open.
“You can have so many different weather conditions,” Woods said. ”You just don’t know.
“That’s one of the unique things about the British Open and why it’s my favourite major championship.
“Weather plays such a huge role in the tournament. Probably the biggest differences here are the bunker conditions.
You have to make a decision on the tee about what you’re going to do. With certain winds you can clear (the bunkers) and other winds you can’t.”
Last year’s PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley is also apprehensive about the British Open venue.
“The course plays very tough,” Bradley said.
“I’ve never played a course where the first nine holes are pretty much downwind and the last nine are straight in.”
