BY STEVE KEIPERT AT ROYAL LIVERPOOL

Flush from your memory bank any recollections you might have of the 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, for the course's character this year is decidedly more lush than the firm, baked surfaces Tiger Woods conquered eight years ago.

The 2014 edition of golf's oldest championship will be played on greener pastures and with thicker rough than the course known as Hoylake presented last time. A wet spring in north-western England followed by a warm first half of summer has provided perfect conditions for the rough to flourish. Consequently, missed fairways will require strength, control and luck in large doses in order to save pars from this hay.

Tiger Woods was an early arrival at Hoylake where he won The Open in 2006. PHOTO: Getty Images Tiger Woods was an early arrival at Hoylake where he won The Open in 2006. PHOTO: Getty Images

Another change from 2006 is the form – and physical health – of the champion from that year. Woods makes his return to major championship play this week after sitting out the Masters and US Open to recover from back surgery in late March. The former World No.1, now ranked 7th, will tee it up in a major for the first time since sharing 40th place at the US PGA Championship last August.

Some things will remain the same, however. This year's Open promises to be as, well, open as they come. Justin Rose is firming into favouritism on the strength of consecutive wins. One triumph came in America; the second last weekend in Scotland, where Rory McIlroy added to his seesawing links resume with scores that bounced between brilliant and mediocre. Both men are carrying some of the shortest odds on offer.

Australia has eight starters in the 156-man field for the 143rd Open Championship, headlined by 2012 runner-up and current World No.1 Adam Scott. Joining Scott are Jason Day, Rhein Gibson, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman, Bryden Macpherson, Brett Rumford and John Senden.

Leishman and Rumford played a practice round together on Monday with American Brendon Todd. For Leishman, it was a chance to overcome jetlag and learn from a fellow Aussie who made the only cut at a major of his career by finishing equal 16th here in 2006.

"I played the full 18. I wasn't planning on it but just kept going, trying to stay awake - I only flew in this morning," Leishman told Golf Australia. "It's not as 'big', I'll say, as some of the other venues, like Muirfield and Birkdale, but it's still a good test."

To view our photo gallery from The Open, click here

The pride of Warrnambool felt at home in the cool wind that picked up in intensity as the afternoon passed. But most help came from Rumford, who while acknowledging the difference in ground conditions this year nevertheless imparted some useful tips on Hoylake debutant Leishman. Where not to hit it was a constant discussion point as Leishman eyed the quirky internal out-of-bounds on the holes closest to the clubhouse. Straying just ten metres from the fairway will mean a reload on holes such as the 3rd and 18th, but there is adequate room on each occasion on the opposite side.

"The rough's healthy. Fortunately I wasn't in it too much – I didn't want to put too much pressure on the wrists early in the week. You definitely want to avoid it if you can. It's going to be possible to make birdies from the fairway; from the rough it's going to be tough to find the greens."

THE AUSTRALIANS' FIRST-ROUND TEE-TIMES (ALL AEST THURSDAY):

3:47pm - Chris Wood, Matt Jones, Bernd Wiesberger

3:58pm - Erik Compton, Hyung Sung Kim, Marc Leishman

7:21pm - Ryan Palmer, Brett Rumford, Tomohiro Kondo

7:54pm - Rhein Gibson, Brian Harman, Hyung Tae Kim

9:10pm - Scott Stallings, Pablo Larrazabal, Bryden Macpherson

10:38pm - Martin Kaymer, Jason Day, Zach Johnson

11:27pm - Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Jason Dufner

11:49pm - Kevin Na, Joost Luiten, John Senden

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

-- Ever the tinkerer, defending champion Phil Mickelson will add a 2-iron to his bag for Hoylake, as well as a 64-degree lob wedge with minimal bounce. "Those two clubs I basically put away after this event and I bring them back out in July again," he said. "But they've been very important and instrumental in my success here."

-- It was with some reluctance that Mickelson handed back the Claret Jug to R&A officials. What was the most prestigious drop to enter the prized silverware? "A bottle of 1990 Romanee-Conti wine," Mickelson revealed. "Now I didn't know what this was when I drank it. I just knew that it was really good. And that was the best bottle that was ever put in there."

Watch here as Mickelson nurses the jug on its return into R&A hands...

-- Hideki Matsuyama might have been beaten countryman Ryo Ishikawa to registering a victory on the US PGA Tour, but among the Japanese media contingent Ishikawa-san still reigns supreme. In a Monday practice round with American duo Chris Kirk and Roberto Castro, Ishikawa attracted a legion of Japanese photographers.

-- Overheard in the gallery behind the 3rd green was a spectator lamenting to his wife about the price of fish and chips at The Open. In a price hike of considerable proportions, the time-honoured English delicacy has leapt from £6 to £12, according to this dapper gent. I checked it out and, to be fair, found fish and chips available for £9.50, or £11.50 with a hot or cold drink.