The Ryder Cup Twenty Ten course has undergone improvements ahead of the Welsh Open in June

Europe's Ryder Cup hopefuls face a toughened Celtic Manor course if they play there in this year's Welsh Open.

The £1.8m event course in Newport has undergone improvements in recent months under the guidance of Europe Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

Celtic Manor director of courses, Jim McKenzie said: "We've deepened a number of bunkers with larger faces.

"And the rough will certainly be consistently thicker than it has been in previous years.

The course features water on six of the last eight holes, features organisers hope will make for enthralling competition when Europe face their United States rivals in October.

Montgomerie will be at the Welsh Open from June 3-6 and McKenzie believes he will be pleased with the work undertaken there.

"I think it will be a huge advantage for Colin to see the refinements that he has recommended in tournament play before the Ryder Cup," said McKenzie.

"The most notable change to the landscape of the golf course is the new swale spilling off the left of the 11th.

We are delighted with the superb progress made on the Twenty Ten course Europe's Ryder Cup director Richard Hills

"It's made the green a much narrower target, as it should be for a reachable par-five, and will leave players with their hearts in their mouths if they pull their approach shots that way.

"The remedial work has also seen us remodel the greenside bunkers with larger faces and similar bunker reshaping has also been done on holes 7, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 18.

"The greens will also be a lot firmer which is something we've been working towards since the course opened in 2007 and which has always been a high priority for Colin Montgomerie.

"It means only properly struck iron shots will be rewarded by stopping quickly on the greens."

Europe's Ryder Cup director Richard Hills said: "We are delighted with the superb progress made on the Twenty Ten course by Jim McKenzie and his team."

Jeppe Huldahl won last year's Wales Open with a nine under par. Other past champions include Ryder Cup stars Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Ian Poulter, Paul McGinley and Paul Lawrie.

The 2010 Welsh Open winner will pocket £300,000 having had the chance to impress Montgomerie ahead of the Ryder Cup.

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