India, July 17 -- How far the golf ball goes has been debated for the last 20 years and distance is likely to be a big concern this week at Royal Birkdale for the British Open, with one twist.

It's not how far shots are going in the air. It's what happens when they get on the ground. And with links golf, that's not always easy to control, especially this week.

"You can't judge every single bounce perfectly," Justin Rose said. "But you have to accept the nature of a links golf course. There's going to be some good bounces, bad bounces. Just keep playing with a big of freedom and creativity, especially this week. "You're going to get a few funny bounces here or there," he said. "That's all part of it."

The 154th Open begins Thursday with...