Tiger Woods can expect to face the exact same Old Course when he tries to win at St Andrews for a third time - almost certainly in 2010.

While Augusta National has announced a further lengthening for next year's Masters, Open championship officials yesterday said there were unlikely to be further changes made to the home of golf in the foreseeable future.

Five new tees added 164 yards after the 2000 event when Woods triumphed by eight with a major championship record 19-underpar total. The world No 1 winning score this time was 14 under and yet he still triumphed by five.

Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Club, believes the second-biggest crowds in Open history - 223,000 over the week - could have witnessed a record in other conditions. But Woods was the only player to finish in double figures and that despite four driveable par fours in the ninth, tenth, 12th and 18th holes.

The new tees were at the second, fourth, 12th, 13th and 14th and Dawson said yesterday: "I think the changes were a success and the Old Course stood the test.

"If there was a disappointment it was that we didn't get the other wind, which would have brought the changes out in more stark contrast.

"With the wind we had, the players could still reach the (par five) 14th in two while on the 12th they never really had to make a decision (whether to lay up short of the new bunkers).

"But we are very happy with the guys at the top of the leaderboard and very happy with the scoring. I did expect the record to be challenged, if not broken, but if you take the strict par as being 68 on that reckoning nobody broke par."

Martin Kippax, chairman of the championship committee, said: "I don't see there is any way we are going to be stretching the Old Course any more. She is as she is."

The Open is staged at Hoylake, near Liverpool, next year for the first time since 1967, then at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale.

The venue for 2009 is likely to be Turnberry if construction of a section of road near Ayr starts soon. That would ease traffic congestion encountered there when it held the 1994 event.

St Andrews is earmarked for 2010 because it will be the 150th anniversary of the first Open. Dawson said: "I would not be surprised if the championship committee decides to bring it here. We have more international visitors and the eyes of the world are on the home of golf when it holds the Open championship."

Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are among those to voice concern about the advances in technology. But the R&A have been collecting data and believe their wish for the present situation to plateau has been realised.

Next year it is expected that women will enter the Open for the first time but what standard they will need to reach to qualify has yet to be worked out.