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With only two par fives and numerous doglegs reigning in the boom-boom generation, Southern Hills isn't considered a candidate for Tiger Woods' personal ranking of the "Top 100 Courses I Can Play."
"I tend to get that criticism at courses where I played once and didn't win," he said with a grin in his pre-tournament press conference. "Kind of the way it goes."
Woods finished 12th when the US Open was played here in 2001. On the other hand, he loves Firestone in Akron, Ohio, where he lapped the field last week and buried the big-talking Rory Sabbatini.
"Hopefully I can carry what happened last week into this week," he said. But whereas Woods' driver was instrumental in his victory at Firestone, he revealed that club will probably spend most of this week tucked inside its Tiger head cover. Woods was on the range fizzing long irons and a fairway wood into the wide blue yonder.
Tulsa looks set for a repeat performance of the tactics that saw him win the British Open at Hoylake in 2006. How many drivers does he plan to use?
"Not many. I didn't hit a whole lot back in 2001 and I'm probably not going to hit a lot this week, either," Woods said. "The ball is flying forever. I hit 6-iron off 10 and Bubba (Watson) hit 5-iron. Those shots went 230 and 240 yards."
This championship is Woods' 50th major, including those played as an amateur, and the world No. 1 spoke about how the course set-ups have gotten tougher.
"It seems like every course we go to has been lengthened and they change pars around," Woods said. "If they can change Pebble Beach to a par 71, they can pretty much do anything."
Fairways have been narrowed but the rough has been pretty consistent over the years. But a lot of the landing areas, at about 280 yards, have been pinched in. Guys are now able to carry the ball pretty easily with 3-woods and drivers. The ball is going farther with narrower fairways, so they are even harder to hit. There is more of a premium on getting the ball in play.
"I am playing to the same spots as my strategy in 2001, but probably with one or two clubs less because the balls are going further now," Woods said.
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