Tuesday 23 September 2014 18:21, UK
Jim Furyk expects the thick rough at Gleneagles to cause plenty of problems during the Ryder Cup.
Furyk was generally positive about the state of the course after his first practice round on Tuesday morning, but hinted that finding the fairways off the tee could prove vital.
European captain Paul McGinley admitted earlier the recent Scottish weather had helped thicken the rough up, perhaps even a little more than even he would have liked.
"I kind of like the golf course to be honest with you. I feel like it's relatively straightforward, it's in front of you," Furyk said.
"I'm a little surprised by the set-up. I didn't expect to see eight-inch rough in spots out there, and it is overly thick and overly long in spots.
"Being a guy that hits the ball relatively accurately when I'm playing well, it doesn't really drive me nuts or anything, but it has a different feel.
"Usually you see in a set-up for match play, they usually tend to let us get a little bit more aggressive and wild, and you see recoveries, and you're not going to see a lot of recovery shots here when guys get in that hay.
"It's going to be very fortunate if you can get the ball on the green from 160, 170 or 180 yards. You're going to have to get an extremely fortunate lie.
"I was surprised to see how thick the rough was, especially in the low-lying areas.
"I'm a little surprised by it but not sure if it favours one side or the other. It's just the golf course and we'll go play it."
