ADELAIDE Australia AP As Australian golf's father figure Peter Thomson seemed a natural to captain the Down Under-dominated International team at next week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne. But this week five-time British Open winner Thomson is taking the heat from a number of golfers at the Australian Open including Presidents Cup player Stuart Appleby of Australia over Thomson's design changes to Royal Adelaide. ``I expected there will be controversy'' Thomson said Wednesday as Greg Norman playing his first 72-hole tournament since undergoing shoulder surgery eight months ago toured Royal Adelaide in advance of Thursday's opening round. Thomson has added about 300 meters to the now par-72 6565-meter 7178-yard course grown out the rough and extended it further into the fairways and added 20 bunkers. Royal Adelaide's small greens have been left well small. Norman was in a relaxed mood during his practice round Wednesday laughing with spectators despite swirling winds that made the course play difficult. He's kept comments about the course to himself but his body language during Tuesday's pro-am indicated he wasn't happy. He appeared to be upset when after finishing pin-high down the left side of the green on the short par-4 third he found his ball submerged in knee-high rough and could only blast it into similar territory on the other side. ``Where do you play to?'' he was heard to murmur to his caddie Tony Navarro. Appleby said he could see no reason to change the course. ``I don't know what was wrong with it'' said Appleby. ``There is a real fine line between pleasure and pain. You are going to see some pretty ugly shots. ``We are now hitting four irons where we used to hit seven irons into some places'' added Appleby. ``Shots are longer but we are talking about green sizes that haven't changed. I've never seen a course become harder by so much.'' Local newspaper reports have one unnamed player suggesting that Thomson has ``lost his marbles'' while another is quoted he'll do the ``full monty'' strip naked in front of the clubhouse if anyone in the field breaks par in all four rounds. Thomson won three of his five British Opens at Royal Birkdale Royal Lytham and St. Anne's and he says it's only natural that he would lean towards seaside links in his course preference. ``I didn't hear anyone complaining about Royal Birkdale Troon or Lytham'' said Thomson. ``That's because it's the British Open and you expect it. But why shouldn't we expect it at the Australian Open?'' Englishman Nick Faldo isn't complaining he said he enjoyed the traditional touches of Scottish golf architect Alister Mackenzie who also designed Augusta National and Royal Melbourne. Thomson has tipped Faldo a winner of six majors as the likely Australian Open winner. ``It's a fantastic course naturally challenging and full of wonderful Mackenzie bunkering'' Faldo said Wednesday. U.S. Presidents Cup team members Fred Couples and John Huston are also in the Australian Open field along with other International members Craig Parry of Australia New Zealand's Frank Nobilo and Greg Turner and Paraguay's Carlos Franco. Couples and Huston possible partners in the Presidents Cup played a leisurely practice round Wednesday morning. Couples watched in amazement on the par-4 sixth when gusty winds blew putt after practice putt away from the hole. American Billy Mayfair had similar problems Wednesday. ``There were a few times when I actually putted off the green'' said Mayfair. ``The balls were rolling all over the place and there are some subtle breaks. If someone can get it going with the putter they've definitely read the greens well.'' djp APW19981201.1147.txt.body.html APW19981201.1242.txt.body.html