Who would have thought that an Open set at the majestic venue of Turnberry, a tournament that has the world number one in the field for the first time since 2007, would be dominated by a scrap between a brace of Scots. Sandy Lyle's row with Colin Montgomerie has all the appeal of a pair of salty-tongued fishwives rowing over a side of smelly salmon.

Mercifully, their disagreements seemed to have been to one side on the eve of the 138th Open and we are left with the mouth watering prospect of an Open worthy of the name, one entirely in keeping with the pevious three that have been held at this venue. Three Opens, three victories by the world's best player at the time. Tom Watson in 1977, Greg Norman in 1986 and Nick Price in 1994. You can't say much that is more praiseworthy of a golf course than that it identifies the best player in the world.

Woods is favourite because he nearly always is at every event he enters. It is not only that he has skills that few other golfers can match. It is more that he has a mental capacity that no one can match. "He has the same variations in his game as anyone but he does not let them bother him" Peter Kostis, the American TV commentator and golf analyst said. And if not Woods then perhaps American competitors such as Hunter Mahan or Sean O'Hair.

Yet the surge up the world rankings of a number of English players suggests, however faintly, that the flag of St George might yet be raised on Sunday evening.

Paul Casey has all the tools and is ranked third in the world and in the absence of the American Phil Mickelson, whose wife and mother are fighting breast cancer, is the second highest ranked competitor after Woods. Ian Poulter produced a performance of real character to finish second last year. Lee Westwood came third in last year's US Open and is on the crest of a wave after several good tournaments in Europe.

Padraig Harrington may not be ready after spending the first six months tinkering with his swing. He would be a popular champion, the first man since Peter Thomson in 1954, 1955 and 1956, to win three Opens in as many years.

In the end it may be the competitor who copes best with the unpredictable weather conditions that prevail on this part of the Scottish coast where there are different micro climates every few miles. It can be raining in Ayr and sunny in Girvan, a few miles to the south, wet in Turnberry, dry in Kirkoswald, all of five miles inland.

This is a wide open Open championship and the only thing that is certain is that it will be much more interesting than the recent US Open, which was elongated by rain interruptions, and dispiriting as a result, until late Sunday afternoon when it sprang to life.

Woods had a hand in saving that championship. He may well put both hands on the claret jug awarded to the winner of this championship.