Philip:
Why should Tiger be the standard by which set-up efforts are evaluated? He got the back luck of the draw re. weather -- happens all the time in golf. I don't think his particular performance is a full reflection of the set-up.
The first two days of the set-up at BBlack allowed drives to stay in the expanded and wider-than-normal fairways, allowed players to spin shots out of the first cut of rough, allowed players using fairway woods/hybrids for approach shots to easily keep those shots on greens, and allowed easier putting because of eased-up pin positions. Not the fearsome Black I'd hope for at the Open, and record-low scores those first two days.
Sure, the field came back to par -- usually does at the Open, as pin positions and weather toughened on the weekend.