Norman prepares to do battle with Carnoustie

Greg Norman had another taste of Carnoustie on Wednesday and warned: "We are in for a long hard week."

The 1986 and 1993 champion described the Open as his favourite tournament. "You play courses like you don't play anywhere else in the world," he said after another tough practice round on the east-coast Scottish links.

Certainly few would have seen, let alone played, anything like Carnoustie.

"You've heard all the different adjectives used by players to describe the course but they're probably minor compared to what they're saying on the tees and in the locker room," said Norman.

"A brute" was the one he chose, adding that on some holes the fairways were so narrow it was like trying to drive the ball through a hotel door.

"I've had a pretty long experience of Opens and Turnberry in 1986 was probably the hardest I've seen. This course makes Turnberry look like St Andrews," said Norman.

"When you go off the fairway you just cannot advance the ball. Five will be a very good score on a lot of holes and par is about eight over."

Asked if he agreed with fellow Australian Peter Thomson, who said the organisers had "crossed the line" and made the course too hard, Norman all but agreed. "Nobody wants to use the word unfair but Peter's probably very close in his assessment," he said.

"You have to throw the yardage book away on days like this -- play by feel. To win here a player must have a lot of strengths, a good all-round game. Whoever is most used to these conditions, who understands the wind can win it."

Norman said he was disappointed that organisers had put fertilizer on the rough because it changed the natural characteristic of the course.

But officials have said the extraordinarly long rough is purely the result of a wet spring followed by warm spells. "You could almost see the grass growing," said Royal and Ancient head Sir Michael Bonallack, who claimed it was impossible to thin it at short notice.

Norman missed the cut at the U.S. Open after rounds of 73 and 78 but said he felt good about his form and considered himself a good outside bet at 66-1.

"The state of my game is pretty good but I wanted to do other things," he said of his undemanding recent playing regime.

"Golf is not everything. I've learned that you don't have to play a lot of golf to be at your best for the big tournaments. I feel I play a lot better with a lighter schedule."

This week will certainly test that theory to the full.

"I was hitting two and three-irons when I would normally hit sevens or eights," he said after duelling with the fierce wind on Wednesday.

"I don't think the fans will comprehend how difficult it is. It's very conceivable a high 290s or even 300 could win it."

Despite his reservations, Norman says he was really looking forward to the start. "The Open is the epitome of golf," he said.

"It's just totally different here and that's why all the players love it."

Reuters