SOUTHPORT, England -- The roof of the media tent flapped violently overhead, drawing the occasional look of concern from the inhabitants.
But take my word for it, it was a lot worse outside, where a steady onshore breeze of 25 mph was turing the site of the British Open into a potential horror story. Former U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera predicted that if somebody could card four straight rounds of 1-over 71 at Royal Birkdale, he'd walk away with the trophy.
It was music to Peter Dawson's ears.
Dawson, head of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which runs the event, seemed positively beside himself that winds are expected to buffet the links layout for the next four days. More the better, since it's been a while since proper British weather has presented itself at the Open Championship.
He was not the least concerened that the course might have been a bit overcooked, so to speak.
"I think these guys can play well enough," Dawson said confidently on Wednesday. "The course is not a monster in terms of length. They'll be able to position the ball on the fairways, I'm sure, and play it. It'll be like every championship we have; there will be a number of players playing extremely well and scoring very well, and some will struggle.
"We'll just have to wait and see who they are. I'm not worried it'll be too hard. We're not looking at 40‑, 45‑mile‑an‑hour winds, then it will tough. We're looking at 20, 25."
That will be plenty on a course that is so green, the heater and gorse look like cultivated cash crops. The R&A expects the first two rounds to take around 4:26 to complete, but they'll never hit that target score if guys start losing balls in the gunch.
Dawson's troops also reported that there has been no dropoff at the gate as a result of Tiger Woods' injury.
"Funnily almost none at all," the R&A's David Hill said Wednesday."Our advance ticket sales are running 28 percent ahead of 1998 (at Birkdale) and we're very confident there will be 200,000 people here during the week, and even today they're pouring in through the pay gates more than we anticipated.
"I think people are coming to see the Open more than ever. It's disappointing Tiger is not here, but the fans think this is a special week and they've made their minds up to come."
Dawson was asked for an opinion on the absence of the hottest player in golf, who elected not to come. No, not Woods, but American Kenny Perry, who has won three of his last five starts but declined to accept his Birkdale invitation.
"Well, I think I'm bemused by it more than anything else, really," Dawson said, charitably. "It's his decision what he does with his life, not mine. "He's in incredibly hot form. He's 47 or 48 years old. You would have thought he'd never have a better chance, but he's choosing another route, and we're sorry he's not here."