Olly says Dubai setup is pretty rough

DUBAI -- Defending champion José Maria Olazábal is more concerned by the Dubai Creek rough than the quality of his opposition in the Desert Classic starting on Thursday.

The tournament has been moved from the Emirates course where he celebrated victory a year after making a comeback from career-threatening foot injuries.

"It will be tougher this year because this course has been set up like a U.S. Open course," Olazabal said on Tuesday.

"When we practised yesterday we couldn't even find the ball in the rough. The fairways are 20 yards wide so once you hit the ball in the rough it's going to be tough to find the fairway.

Olzábal, the former U.S. Masters champion, said he did not think the balance of the course was right.

"If you make the rough so severe you must leave a little bit more room on the fairways, or so that you can hit the ball a little longer from the rough -- not so that you can hit the green but at least use a nine iron."

European No. 1 Colin Montgomerie does not share Olazabal's concerns over the rough.

"Here, as well as deep rough, there is an awful lot of water just short of the greens so you can't actually advance and it's a case of chipping out sideways and starting again," he said.

"It's a great test of golf. It proves you don't have to build a 7,400-yard course to be a challenge and I like that."

Montgomerie, coming off his sixth straight year as Europe's No. 1 player, also claimed it is "purely coincidence" he is yet to win a major, and plans no sweeping changes to try to swing his fortunes.

Again, golf's four majors will be his priority for the season. "I'm not going out with the intention of trying for another Order of Merit win," he said.

"I've won six now and that's it done. But if we get to around September and, as last year, I haven't succeeded in my four main goals -- the majors -- then I'll be looking at the fifth goal, which is winning the European rankings again.

"I hope and I feel, that it's purely coincidence that I haven't succeeded in the majors yet.

"I can try to make the odd rescheduling change but I have a lot of commitments off the course nowadays. It doesn't deflect from my aim to win a major because if I want to take a week off before a major, I'll do it.

"Anyway, every year I've played less and less in Europe but I've still stayed ahead of the game. It's a balancing act."

Montgomerie was asked if he had got his balancing act wrong in the past and that was why he still did not have a major title.

"No I don't. I feel if I had been fortunate a couple of times I would be sitting here with two majors, at least.

"I feel it's purely coincidence it hasn't worked out and I don't plan to change anything.

"It's just a matter of being more fortunate and cutting out one weak round. My 76 in the second round at the Congressional in 1997 wasn't good enough and I got edged out by Ernie (Els).

"And in three other majors, like Pebble Beach, Riviera and Oakmont, I'd have walked it but for a weak round."

Montgomerie repeated his belief that the European rankings would become less important.

"They won't mean a thing when we get to California in a couple of weeks for the first World Championship because they are based on the world rankings.

"I think we'll soon get to a situation like the tennis circuit with four grand slam events and the super nine, nine bigger tournaments like our world championship events.

"It may take time but it will be a world tour as the tennis tour is."

Other top names in the field include Mark O'Meara, winner of the Masters and Open last year, and Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, second and third in the Europan rankings last season.