Some things have not changed since Justin Rose last played in the Open Championship.

Europe is still searching for its first major winner since Paul Lawrie in 1999, Tiger Woods is still world number one and the dominant force in the game and the giant yellow scoreboard still looms over the 18th green.

But Rose himself is a very different player.

After missing the cut at Sandwich in 2003 with rounds of 79 and 80, Rose failed to qualify for the Open for the next three years, and his four tournament victories in 2002 began to look a distant memory.

The turnaround in fortunes began with victory in the Mastercard Masters in Australia last December, and at the US Masters in April he was one behind eventual winner Zach Johnson with two to play only to double-bogey the 17th and slip to fifth.

The 26-year-old had another chance to end Europe's major drought at the US Open last month and was joint third with Paul Casey with a round to go before finishing in a tie for tenth.

His best finish in a major therefore remains his fourth place as a 17-year-old amateur at Birkdale in 1998, but his form this year justifiably sees him as seventh favourite behind the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Ernie Els.

"I view my chances as good, hopefully I'll be a contender," Rose said. "I certainly take a lot of confidence in what happened at Augusta and the US Open.

"I felt like I was in the tournament from the word go and in the tournament all week. I felt comfortable being in and around the hunt there all week.

"I think what I learned those two weeks is only going to make it easier, if it ever can get easier. For two good experiences to be so close together, should a third come around it might be easier.

"I guess it's self-belief is what I'm saying. Having played well in the last two majors, beginning to believe that's where I belong, and that alone makes it much easier to go out there and let it happen."

Rose has the distraction of being paired with the hat-trick-seeking Woods and 1999 champion Paul Lawrie for the first two rounds, but can draw on his experience of playing with the American at Muirfield in 2002.

Woods was halfway towards a first-ever Grand Slam of all four majors in one season that year, having won the Masters and US Open, but in foul weather on the Saturday his chance disappeared when he slumped to an 81. He did come back with a closing 65, but finished down in 28th place.

Rose, 21 at the time, outscored Woods by two with his opening 68 to be only one off the lead, but then scored a second-round 75 and ended up 22nd.

"The fact should remain that you're playing a golf course and the golf course doesn't become more difficult because of somebody that you stand next to," Rose added.

"That's the simple fact of it. Reality could be different. But that's the way I'm going to approach it, the golf course is still the same."

Crucially, the course has changed significantly from 1999 when Lawrie, Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard finished level on six over par, the highest winning total in any major since 1963, and the highest in the Open itself since 1947.

South African David Frost even suggested it would be too easy for the world's elite as the R&A overreacted to the stinging criticism of the course set-up eight years ago, but Woods is not fooled.

"I've never heard anyone say Carnoustie is easy, even the times I played the Scottish Open here it was more benign than this and the scores weren't really that low," said Woods, playing only his second tournament since the birth of daughter Sam Alexis the day after he finished second in the US Open at Oakmont.

"There are so many holes where you're forced to hit long irons into the greens. Obviously if you miss the ball in any of the pot bunkers off the tee you have to go sideways, if you can. You can't advance it forward.

"Granted there are some short holes. It depends on the finish. If the wind is into you coming home, it's all you can handle on the golf course."

Woods is seeking to become the first player since Peter Thomson in 1954-56 to win three straight Open titles - Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson the only players since then to have had a chance to claim such a hat-trick.

Watson was the only one who even came close when he was second at St Andrews in 1984, a bogey on the 17th in the final round ending his chances when his second shot finished up next to the wall on the famous Road Hole.

The man who denied him that day was Seve Ballesteros, and in a week when the great Spaniard announced his retirement it would be fitting if a European player who owes so much to the 50-year-old could lift the Claret Jug on Sunday evening.