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With no increases on last summer's purse, the winner at St Andrews will receive the same £720,000 cheque awarded to American Todd Hamilton following his play-off victory over Ernie Els at Troon.

The championship returns to the home of golf after a gap of five years.

World number one Tiger Woods was the winner then - by an eight-stroke margin that had not been bettered since Young Tom Morris triumphed by 12 way back in 1870.

Woods, who did not go in a single bunker all week, also set a new record for all four majors when he finished 19 under par.

The Old Course has been lengthened since Woods' astonishing performance, which came only a month after he won the US Open by 15 shots with a record 12-under total.

Five new tees have been constructed to bring more of the traps into play and, at 7,279 yards, the lay-out is 164 yards longer than the one confronted in 2000.

"We are restoring rather than changing the course," said Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Club.

"Modern equipment and the greater athleticism of the game's leading players has led to many of the Old Course hazards being taken out of play."

The only par five on the inward half, the 14th, has been stretched 37 yards and at 618 yards will be the longest on any of the Open courses.

"Because of the history of the course moving hazards is not the option it would be at many other places," added Dawson.

"You simply can't move a bunker here or there. All that leaves is to move tees - six were changed before the 2000 Open and these latest changes are on a par with what happened last time.

"We're not looking for the course to become a big-hitter's paradise. We are committed to staging a championship that isn't just for golfers who hit the ball a long way.

"The course has proved many times that it is subtle enough to provide a strong challenge. we are not trying to change the character of the course - we just want to reinstate the old decisions players had to make."

The tee at the second has gone back 40 yards and slightly to the right (actually onto an unused area of a putting green known as the Himalayas). The fourth has an additional 16 yards, the 12th an extra 34 yards and at the 13th the carry over the Coffins bunkers has been extended from 250 to 285 yards.

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