It's a statistic that's as quirky as the links that is the Old Course. Jim Furyk, all-round nice guy and a hell of a player to boot, has missed the cut in his last four visits to the British Open, most recently at Royal Troon a year ago when he partnered then European Amateur champion Brian McElhinney for the opening two rounds. Both players had the weekend off.

Furyk, for one, can't immediately put his finger on why links golf should prove to be such a nemesis in recent times. After all, he did finished fourth at Troon in 1997, and fourth at Royal Birkdale the next year.

So, it's not as if he can't play seaside golf.

"I've played poorly," he remarked of those four missed cuts. "Maybe it's because I changed my game a little bit to compete better in the States, and that hasn't translated well to coming over here and playing well. We need to play the ball in the air (in the US). I grew up hitting the ball a little lower and flatter . . . But I make my living playing in America, I'll just have to adjust and try a little better over here."

Furyk, who won the Western Open two weeks ago, bouncing back from his runner-up finish in the Barclays Classic at Westchester where Padraig Harrington holed a 65-footer for eagle to edge him out, grew up with the reputation of being a good wind player. But he changed his game to the higher ball flight in order to play what he described as "the New Age architecture".

"I needed to put the ball in the air. I'm an average length guy, I go in (to greens) with a five-iron where some of the longer players go in with eight-irons. I needed to get some air under the ball to compete and I worked hard on that over a period of time. I progressed to the stage where I was able to compete on all courses in the US, where earlier in my career I did better on windy, keep-the-ball-low type of courses. Now I've got better in all aspects.

"What I have done poorly is to come over here and prepare for this tournament in a different fashion. I just haven't done a good job of it."

Still, while many of his compatriots decided to warm-up by playing links courses in Ireland last week, Furyk decided he would have a few days' break at home before arriving in St Andrews ahead of the posse.

He got here on Saturday.

"I just wanted to get used to the sight lines, where I want to hit the ball. This is a course that grows on you. The first time I was here - I won't say I disliked it, but I wasn't jumping up and down doing back flips either. I wasn't in awe, or in love with the place. Every time you play, you tend to like it a little bit more," said Furyk.

He last made the cut in a British Open was here in 2000, when he finished tied-41st. He hopes the familiarisation process of the past few days - he has played every day since Saturday - will enable him to maintain his recent strong form from the US Tour.

After all, this course has confused him in the past.

"You know, I've walked onto tee boxes before my caddie gets there, turned 320 degrees and had no clue (which direction to hit the tee-shot). My caddie gets there and says, 'Hit it over that bush', and I say 'Okay'."

At least Furyk should know his way around this time. Now, if only he can transform that American form into challenging - again - in a British Open.