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Tiger practiced with Mark O'Meara on Tuesday.
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Tiger Woods played his third practice round Tuesday at the Old Course to get ready for this week's 139th Open Championship. He played 16 holes with Mark O'Meara, then met with the media for 20 minutes.
"It's great to be back," said Woods. "Great to be back playing this golf course, and it is playing a little bit differently than it was the last two times we've played here, or the last three times actually I've played here. The greens are a little bit slower, and granted, they had to be, especially on Sunday when it was actually unplayable.
"It'll be interesting. I know the weather is not supposed to be very good coming in for this week, so all the players are going to have to make some adjustments. But this golf course is still in spectacular shape, and I'm looking forward to another great championship."
As always, the keys to scoring are avoiding the 112 bunkers and good lag putting.
Taming the famous par-4 17th, known as the Road Hole, is also critical. The R&A lengthened the hole 40 yards and it now measures a daunting 495 yards. Miss the green short-right, and players will likely find a cavernous bunker known to some as the "Sands of Nakajima." Japanese golfer Tommy Nakajima once took five strokes to escape.
"I'm pretty neutral on it because you're hitting -- all you're doing is basically hitting a little bit more club into the green, but it's the same tee shot," said Woods. "It's the same angle. You're taking the same line off the tee."
Woods begins first-round play on Thursday at 4:09 a.m. ET with Justin Rose of England and Camilo Villegas of Colombia. On Friday, the trio is scheduled to start at 9:20 a.m. ET.
Rose, winner of the Memorial Tournament and AT&T National, comes into the tournament as one of the hottest golfers in the game. He was paired with Woods in the 2002 Open at Muirfield and the 2007 Open at Carnoustie.
"I don't think he will care who he plays with," Rose wrote in a commentary for the Times of London on Tuesday. "He won't give it a second thought. He will say hello to me on the first tee and then he'll get into playing the course. But he's not alone in that. Jack Nicklaus did and that's also my goal. The time for socializing is off the course, not on it."
Rose expects spectators to treat Woods well.
"I'm not sure what kind of reaction he will get after his troubles, but I'd be very surprised if there was any heckling," he said. "A couple of holes into the championship, he will be respected like everybody else. The crowds are here for golf and they appreciate good play."
Woods agreed.
"Well, the Scottish golf fans have always been fantastic with respect to golf and all the players," he said. "They've been great to me over the years. I wouldn't see anything different than what they've been over the years."
Woods has fond memories of the Old Course, winning Claret Jugs in 2000 and 2005. Although he has yet to win in 2010, he tied for fourth and contended in the Masters and recent U.S. Open.
"I haven't gone this long into the season without winning a championship," Woods said. "I think '98 was the longest time, and it was like nine events or something. But again, I'm looking forward to getting out there and playing, and I understand how to play this golf course. It's a matter of going out there and putting it together and putting it together at the right time."
Asked if winning would help erase his some of his off-course issues, Woods disagreed.
"I would like to win no matter what," Woods said. "It would be nice. It really would be nice. A lot of work ahead of me, but to win here is certainly one of the bigger highlights I've ever had in my career, because it is the home of golf.''
Woods is carrying a 2-iron this week and is expected to use a new Nike Method putter for the first time in competition.
"I have a 2-iron I've used for years, and it's a little bit strong -- I carry two 2-irons and a 5-wood with me at most tournaments, and this is my stronger of the two 2-irons," he said. "I've used it for years.
"I also have a new putter in the bag. It comes off faster, which on these greens is something that I've always struggled on slower greens. I haven't had to make that much of an adjustment because the ball is coming off a little bit quicker."
Rain is in the forecast Wednesday and for much of the week. Woods is scheduled to play in the Open Champions Challenge, featuring former legends of the game. He'll play four holes -- 1, 2, 17 and 18 -- with Peter Thomson, Mark Calcavecchia and Nick Faldo. The team will count their best score in a competition against six other groups, which include Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino.
"I'm really looking forward to it," said Woods.