WITH extra crowd control staff, ticket sales running 40 per cent up on last year, corporate hospitality facilities sold out in record time the Australian Open organisers are counting the days until Tiger Woods arrives here.

The Australian Golf Union (AGU) has stepped up its preparations for the $790,000 Open at The Australian course from November 21st to 24th following enormous public interest in Woods's first professional appearance outside the United States.

However, AGU executive director Colin Phillips yesterday ruled out the one match-up everyone wants to see - the 20-year-old Woods alongside world number one Greg Norman - at least for the first two days.

"They won't play together. It would be very difficult to handle (the gallery) and very unfair on the rest of the field," said Phillips.