Tseng eyes another golf major at Carnoustie

Taiwan's Yani Tseng, the defending champion, will be aiming to extend her record-breaking run in major championships at the Women's British Open starting on Thursday. At 22, the world No.1 is already the youngest woman to have won four majors - her latest success came with a runaway 10-shot victory in the LPGA Championship at Rochester in New York State last month. "There is a lot of pressure this week," she admitted. "But I love the course. Already, I think it is one of toughest and one of my favourites. "There are so many ways to approach it. You can be aggressive, you can play safe and you need to be patient and imaginative." But the winner from Royal Birkdale 12 months ago was one of the players to question the set-up of the course. She was particularly surprised that the 18th hole - made famous when Frenchman Jean Van de Velde hit into the burn guarding the green and threw away the 1999 Open Championship - was playing no more than a drive and a flick. The hole played 499 yards for the men's Open, but it is just 386 yards for the women. Overall, the course has been cut by around 900 yards to 6,490 yards. "I was hitting just 80 yards for my second shot at the 18th and it's totally different (from the men's Open)," said Tseng, one of the longest hitters in the women's game. "They have put all the bunkers out of play. For me, it would have been an advantage to be playing from further back. But a lot will depend on the wind. If it blows, it will still be tough." Paula Creamer, last year's US Women's Open Champion, was also surprised by the final hole. "I don't think it is playing they way it should be played," said the 24-year-old, who paid a special detour to Carnoustie and played the links when she was on her way to the Evian Masters in France three weeks ago. "I did think the set-up would be more difficult. But it is the first time we have played here and I still love the course. It is hard but fair." England's Melissa Reid, the Dutch Open Champion who is set to make her European Solheim Cup debut in Ireland in September, was even more critical. "I could reach the par fives with mid-irons and that's not what I expected," said the 23-year-old. "I was shocked with 18. I thought the burn would definitely be in play. It's just a drive and a wedge. If the wind doesn't blow, I think the score could be very low this week."