ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Defending champion Paul Lawrie missed last month's U.S. Open with a groin injury. On Tuesday, he nearly got knocked out of the British Open.

Taking a gamble

One of the United Kingdom's many pleasures is legal gambling. And the Open Championship offers a wide variety of temptations. At Ladbrokes, the largest gambling service in the U.K., you can get odds on whether you believe Tiger Woods will shoot 60 or better at the Old Course in any round (16-1), 30 or less on the front nine (6-1) or if he will eagle the 18th hole (10-1). Actually, you can bet on just about everything. The only bet bookies won't accept are wagers involving the Royal Family. As for the tournament, Woods is the overwhelming favorite to win the Claret Jug with a record-low odds of 9-to-4, according to Ladbrokes spokesman Ciaran O'Brien. An estimated 6 million pounds will be wagered on the Open Championship. According to O'Brien, the largest bet placed on Woods to win so far has been 15,000 pounds. Before the U.S. Open, someone asked for odds on Woods winning both the U.S. and British Opens and was given 16-to-1. Other bets: A player will score 10 or higher on the road hole, No. 17 (9-2). A Titleist ball will win the tournament (1-2). Paul Lawrie's odds of successfully defending are 100-1, as are those for Jean Van de Velde and John Daly.

While giving a lesson to a group of children for a clinic in the tournament's tented village, Lawrie was unintentionally struck by a club on the left wrist.

Lawrie visit the European Tour's fitness trailer and was advised to rest the wrist and not play a practice round. Lawrie's manager, Adrian Mitchell, said Lawrie will not miss the championship.

"I've just got a bit of swelling that will go down tonight and then I will play tomorrow morning, early," Lawrie said. "I've had ice treatment and I will go back and see the fellows later today.

"It's very disappointing because I wanted to play today. But I have to rest it and let the swelling go down."

Different story
Leave it to the British tabloids to make sure every important angle is covered. The Scottish Mirror sought out Yvonne Robbe, the stripper who ran onto the 18th green at Carnoustie last year during the first round to greet Tiger Woods.

According to the Mirror, Robbe is hoping for another encounter with Woods.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Tiger will accept my invitation to dance," she said. "If he thought last year was good, then he'll get his eyes really opened this year.

"He'll get the full monty this year, I promise."

Tricks of the course
Woods had other matters on his mind Tuesday. After a practice round on the Old Course, Woods said the fairways are fast and the greens are slower. Or at least a little slower.

"It is weird to have the fairways faster than the greens," he said. "You go out there 40 yards away from the green, you hit a putt, and it runs faster, then slows down on the green. That is one of the tricky things you have to feel out."

The conditions are so firm and fast now that Woods can see some huge tee shots.

"The wind has not blown," he said. "If the wind does not blow you can see guys hitting the ball over 400 (yards) no problem. That won't be that hard to do."

So far, the weather has been pleasant.

"If we have four days like this, we are going to shoot 20-under," said Robert Allenby. "This is a funny type of golf course. It really depends on the wind here as to how you play each hole because you can play each hole a thousand different ways, and not always the way you would like to play it."

Big hitter

	Daly

Callaway's controversial ERC driver is legal at the British Open because the Royal & Ancient, golf's governing body outside of the United States and Mexico, has yet to rule on the club.

Several players have experimented with the club, including Colin Montgomerie and Michael Campbell. John Huston had it in his bag during a Monday practice round. It is not for everyone, however.

"I hit about three balls with one," said Jim Furyk. "It didn't suit my game. Didn't have enough loft. I just couldn't keep the ball in the air."

Various claims have been made that the club helps players hit the ball much farther.

"If I can hit it 25 yards farther, sign me up," Furyk said. "But I'm not sure that's what it does."

Nightmare revisted
Other than a recent taping for a television special previewing the British Open, Van de Velde said he only watched a replay of his ill-fated final hole at Carnoustie last year one time.

"I saw it once sitting on the sofa with a friend of mine in his house," Van de Velde said.

Asked his reaction of watching the triple-bogey 7 which led to a playoff loss, Van de Velde replied: "Well, it wasn't much of a reaction because I was there, if you remember. It is not like watching something at the theater. ... I did it, so I do remember."

Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online.


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