Jack Nicklaus once said that to be remembered, a golfer had to win the Open Championship at St Andrews. Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer, and a gaggle of past British Open champions who triumphed at other venues would probably disagree, but there’s no denying he who hoists the Claret Jug at the Old Course is afforded a special deference.

For many, however, the eccentric layout over which the 134th Open will be played this weekend has little going for it other than 600 years of history. Bobby Jones, for one, couldn’t stand the Auld Sod when he first took it on in 1921; so frustrated was he with the uneven stances and immense bunkers that the tempestuous 19-year-old tore up his card at the 11th hole and stormed off the course in a huff.

Sam Snead thought even less of the place when he arrived for the 1946 Open, saying it looked like an old abandoned course that wasn’t fit for growing cow beets. Others, like Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, fall in love with the Old Lady the instant they arrive, and most of this year’s field will be eager to revisit the turf upon which the game was first played.

Born in the days when shepherds used stones for balls and crooks for clubs, the Old Course can still confound the wiliest competitor. Seemingly generous landing areas give players the impression they can safely wallop it off the tee when, in fact, a carefully thought-out line – usually down the right side – pays far greater dividends. The huge double greens make visualizing and gauging the correct distance for the approach tricky. The exposed putting surfaces are at the mercy of the ubiquitous wind, and many of the bunkers are so deep you can lose sight of everything but the sky, making a sideways or backwards recovery shot the only option. For those more at home on the lush lob-and-stop courses of the PGA Tour, St. Andrews can feel like a distant corner of the universe.

But even the greatest of all the links will need a stiff wind and the 164 yards that have been added since 2000 to prevent a repeat of the birdie-fest that occurred five years ago, when 51 players bettered par under cloudless skies. Woods arrived in St. Andrews that year having romped to a 15-stroke victory in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He then scorched a trail around St. Andrews that no one, not even the record books, could match. His 269 total bested Nick Faldo’s previous course record by a stroke and confirmed Tiger’s status as the greatest player of his generation.

This week, Woods is back at his favorite course. With four Masters titles, two U.S. Opens, and two PGAs already stashed away, Tiger can become just the second man in history to win all four of the game’s major championships twice. And, after an impressive victory at Augusta in April and a runner-up finish to Michael Campbell at Pinehurst four weeks ago, he will surely be considered the man to beat.

Should the North Sea fail to whip up the sort of storm that leaves many visitors to the Old Course crying for their caddy, one suspects Woods will plot a shrewd and prudent path between the cavernous bunkers, as he did in 2000, and come out on top. But don’t be surprised if the world no. 1 becomes unstuck if a raging hooley blows in. A third round 77 in 50-mph gusts at Royal Birkdale in 1998 and a career-worst 81 in the brutal squall of the third round at Muirfield in 2002 suggest he’s not his formidable self out of the sun. And with his Hank Haney-inspired swing changes still largely untested in adverse conditions, he might find it tough adjusting should it turn nasty.

Haney says his charge is hitting the low, penetrating punch shot better than ever with the flatter, shallower swing he has established in Woods over the last 15 months. But when Tiger has problems the culprit is often the driver, the club most affected by a strong wind. If he is unable to control the direction of his tee shots, he may end up in one sandy cavern too many.

The list of players most likely to pounce if the breeze does tamper with Tiger’s rhythm is headed by Vijay Singh, whose game would appear made to measure for the Old Course. His inaccuracy off the tee (88th on tour in fairways hit) won’t affect him as badly as it did at the U.S. Open, where he hit the landing strips just 48% of the time and where finding the rough often means a hack, a pitch, and a putt if one is to salvage a par. At least at St Andrews, an imperfect drive won’t extinguish all hope of making a birdie. Singh’s length should also be an asset – if used correctly.

No one would be surprised if either Ernie Els or Retief Goosen triumphed, although Els is having a dismal year in the majors, and Goosen is coming off his final-round meltdown at Pinehurst. As for the final member of the fab five, Phil Mickelson laid some serious links demons to rest last year at Royal Troon, finishing third – his only top-10 at the Open in 12 tries. And by mastering the low-flying chip-and-run shot that will come in handy when a green is missed, Lefty has helped his chances of adding a jug to his jacket.

Behind them stands a sizeable group of players with legitimate designs on the trophy. That posse includes Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Michael Campbell, David Toms, and Jim Furyk, and, given the depth to which the class extends these days, conceivably stretches all the way down to 100-ranked Steve Webster of England. It’s highly unlikely, however, that someone will come from as far down as no. 1,269 Ben Curtis did at Sandwich in 2003 or Todd Hamilton did last year at Royal Troon. St Andrews invariably picks those with pedigree for its champions.

Indeed, five of the last six Opens staged at the Old Course have been won by the world’s best player – Woods in 2000, Nick Faldo in 1990, Seve Ballesteros in 1984, and Nicklaus in 1970 and 1978. There’s no reason why that trend shouldn’t continue. Expect a compelling tussle involving two or three of the game’s leading lights at the end of which Woods – who has the game, the form, and the memories to repeat – will be atop the leaderboard.

One player who sadly won’t contend is Nicklaus, who has said this will be the last time he tees it up at a major. The march of time and a dodgy hip have rendered his game uncompetitive for several years. But wouldn’t it be something if he made it to the weekend? Now everyone would remember that, whether he won or not.