The Royal Birkdale course will be significantly different at this year''s Open to when the club last hosted the championship ten years ago, it has emerged.
Royal & Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson dismissed claims that the course is still short by today''s standards - it is now just 155 yards longer than in 1998 - and revealed a number of major alterations for this year''s tournament.
Since Mark O''Meara won at Royal Birkdale a decade ago, 20 bunkers have been added, including four on green-side, while a new raised green has been established at the 17th hole, BBC Sport reports.
"I don''t think that this is a golf course you could accuse of being short, or one that intends to take the driver out of the player''s hands," Mr Dawson commented.
The fairway at the ninth has also been moved 25 yards to the left and seven greens have been altered to create more challenging recovery shots.
O''Meara triumphed at Royal Birkdale in 1998 to claim his second Major victory of the year after also winning the Masters.
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