Seventeenth tougher than ever

The biggest names in golf are going to have to tackle what looks certain to be the hardest hole in golf again when they come to The Open at St Andrews this July.

When Seve Ballesteros won in 1984 the par-four 17th played to an average of 4.79. When Tiger Woods won by eight in 2000 it was 4.71 and when he triumphed again by five in 2005 that figure came down only slightly to 4.63.

But that was enough to convince the Royal and Ancient Club that the famous Road Hole had to be made even tougher - and after announcing last October that it was being stretched from 465 to 490 yards, the actual card of the course for this summer's championship has it listed at five yards longer than that.

After remaining the same length for more than 100 years, a new tee has been built on the practice range across the disused railway line, bringing the Old Course Hotel on the inside of the dogleg even more into play.

With out of bounds down the right, the cavernous Road Bunker in front of the slender green and the road and the wall just over the back, the hole has the potential to wreck any round.

Tom Watson, runner-up to Stewart Cink after a play-off at Turnberry last year, will remember all too clearly what happened to him at the Home of Golf in 1984.

Hoping for a record-equalling sixth claret jug, Watson lost to Ballesteros after his two-iron approach flew over the 17th green just as the Spanish star was making birdie down the last.

Eleven years ago David Duval was the biggest danger to Woods until he took four shots in the bunker, and way back in 1978 Japan's Tommy Nakajima was in contention until he did the same en route to a quintuple bogey nine. What hurt most about that was that he had been on the green in two and then putted into the sand.

The lengthening of the 17th is the only major change from five years ago, the course measuring 7,305 yards compared to 7,279.

In 2000, when Woods finished at a major record 19 under par and did not visit a single bunker all week, it was 7,115 yards.