ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (PA) -- Tiger Woods can expect to face the exact same Old Course when he tries to win the Open Championship at St. Andrews for a third time -- almost certainly in 2010.
While Augusta National already has announced a further lengthening for next year's Masters, Open Championship officials have revealed there are unlikely to be further changes made to the venerable Old Course in the foreseeable future.
Five new tees added 164 yards after the 2000 Open, when Woods triumphed by eight with a major championship-record 19-under-par total. The world No. 1's winning score this time was 14-under and yet he still triumphed by five.
Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Club, believes the second-biggest crowds in Open history -- 223,000 over the week -- could have witnessed a new record in other conditions.
But Woods was the only player to finish in double figures, and that was despite there being four driveable par 4s in the ninth, 10th, 12th and 18th holes. The new tees were at the second, fourth, 12th, 13th and 14th.
"I think the changes were a success and the Old Course stood the test," Dawson said. "If there was a disappointment, it was that we didn't get the other wind, which would have brought the changes out in more stark contrast.
"With the wind we had, the players could still reach the [par-5] 14th in two, while on the 12th they never really had to make a decision [whether to lay up short of the new bunkers]," he explained. "But we are very happy with the guys at the top of the leader board and very happy with the scoring.
"I did expect the record to be challenged, if not broken," he said. "But if you take the strict par as being 68, on that reckoning nobody broke par."
"I don't see there is any way we are going to be stretching the Old Course any more," added Martin Kippax, chairman of the championship committee. "She is as she is."
The Open will be staged at Hoylake near Liverpool next year for the first time since 1967, then will be held at Carnoustie in 2007 and Royal Birkdale in 2008.
The venue for 2009 has yet to be announced, but is likely to be Turnberry if construction of a new section of road near Ayr starts soon. That would ease the traffic congestion problems encountered there when it held the 1994 event.
St. Andrews is earmarked for 2010 because it will be the 150th anniversary of the first Open.
"I would not be surprised if the championship committee decides to bring it here," Dawson said. "We have more international visitors and the eyes of the world are on the home of golf when it holds the Open Championship."
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