LONDON - Tiger Woods, who will be chasing a hat-trick of British Open victories next week, is praying the Carnoustie venue will be easier than it was eight years ago.

With a reputation as the toughest on the British Open rota, the narrow fairways and deep rough on the Scottish course caused the players grief throughout the 1999 edition.

Conditions were particularly difficult on the first day when a stiff wind blew and the average score was seven-over-par.

"It was really hard," Woods told reporters at the invitational tournament he hosted in Bethesda, Maryland last week.

"I've never played a golf course as hard as that course was set up and as unfair as it was set up as well."

The world number one believes the Royal & Ancient (R&A) organisers will avoid making the same mistake this time.

"I think they probably learned a lesson from that set-up," said Woods.

"I played two Scottish Opens there, in 1995 and 1996, and I thought it was one of the best golf courses I've ever played. Lo and behold, we came back in 1999 and it was not that way any more."

The R&A have extended the par-71 layout to 7,421 yards, 60 yards longer than the record set eight years ago.

Three holes have been changed.

The par-four third has been redesigned, new bunkering brought in on the long sixth and subtle recontouring carried out by the driving area at the par-four 17th.

The course will have two par-fives and three par-threes but probably the most testing aspect will be the seven par-fours measuring 460 yards-plus.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson hinted it would be less difficult than 1999 when the course was dubbed 'Car-nasty'.

"We are not seeking carnage," said Dawson earlier this year. "We are seeking an arena where the players can display their skills to the best effect.

"Carnoustie deserves its reputation as the toughest course we use but this year we hope to achieve fast-running conditions."

Woods, who won the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2000, 2005 and Hoylake last year, starts the defence of his trophy on July 19.