'Cards stacked against Tiger'

Aberdeen - Six-time major winner Nick Faldo has questioned why Tiger Woods, given his lack of competition this year, did not compete this week ahead of teeing up in next week's British Open.

Woods will be competing in his first major Championship of the season after having missed the Masters and US Open following surgery on his injured back.

The 14-time major winner returned to competition for a first occasion since March in last month's Quicken Loans National but failed to make the halfway cut at Congressional.

However, while the likes of the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington stress it would be foolish to right off Woods capturing that illusive 15th major, Faldo can't see Woods being a factor next week and on a Royal Liverpool course where he captured a third Claret Jug in 2006.

"Tiger is the most compelling golfer in the world and everybody wants to study him whether he's good, bad, ugly, in between," said Faldo.

"But it is just amazing he's only played two rounds of golf since March and he's the favourite. That's just incredible.

"But then if he comes with the right game plan we will see, and it's as simple as that.

"However it's a tough game to play when you are rusty and that's why I came here to Royal Aberdeen as every day you learn and pick something up.

"At present, Tiger's short on everything and it seems strange as he had a chance to play in the Greenbrier Classic which would have been good for him or he could have come here to the Scottish Open as a late entrant.

"So given he was looking for competitive practice why Tiger just didn't tee it up last week or this I can't say.

"He could have played solid and maybe made a halfway cut or something because that's all I have been trying to do ahead of going to Royal Liverpool.

"So we'll see if he's tournament sharp next week as it is really difficult going to an event like The Open to know how the ball is going to fly and how it is going to land.

"So he has his cards stacked against him next week."

Faldo was commenting after missing the Scottish Open halfway cut in only his third event this year as Britain's greatest-ever golfer tried to best prepare for his 36th British Open appearance.