THE OPEN stars face a horror punishment if they try a sneaky tactic at Royal Portrush this weekend.

Play is underway at the 153rd Open, with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy the favourites to win once again.

McIlory, 36, is playing on home territory so should be more familiar with the challenges of the course – including the nasty-looking drop zones.

Fans have already spotted the difficulty of the drop zones dotted around the course.

The overgrown nature of some drop zones will likely put off players trying to use them to their advantage.

Drop zones will be used if a player’s ball hits one of the many grand stands in place at the 18 holes.

In previous tournaments this year some players have reportedly hit the stands on purpose, knowing they will benefit from their ball being placed in a nearby drop zone.

But the difficult nature of drop zones at Royal Portrush mean players will be at a disadvantage if they hit a stand.

Fans have seen the nature of the drop zones and are a little worried for the golfers, with one describing it as a “cabbage patch”.

One fan said: “The Open seems to be dialing up its nastiest set of drop zones yet. Oh you want a free drop from the grandstand? for sure man. Toss one down in the bushes over there.”

Another added: “DZ actually stands for ‘dgorse zone’. The D is silent.”

And a third wrote: “Yes, this is a great solution to the players just smashing the ball into the grandstand and using it as a backstop. I’m all for it!”