The US Open returns to Congressional Country Club in Washington for the first time since 1997.
The layout is very different to the one on which Ernie Els snatched a one-stroke win off Colin Montgomerie, having been completely remodelled in 2006. It is even very different to the one the PGA Tour has played annually in the AT&T National event hosted by Tiger Woods. The fairways are narrower, and the rough is certainly deeper (up to 15cm in some places) not to mention it is 225 metres longer than it normally plays for the July Tour event.
Of course, one player who won’t be teeing it up is Tiger Woods, who was photographed leaving a doctor’s surgery earlier this week wearing a rehab boot on his injured left leg. He will miss the Open for the first time since 1994 as he has succumbed to injuries to his left knee and Achilles’ tendon. His absence, despite his recent poor form, leaves a big hole to be filled potentially by a first-time major winner.
Here are my five players to watch over the next four days at Congressional.
THE SERIOUS CONTENDERS
LEE WESTWOOD
He was unlucky not be involved in the Woods-Rocco Mediate play-off at Torrey Pines in 2008 and since then, he has been the best performed player, without winning, in major championships. He has five top-3 finishes in his last 11 major championship starts.
In my opinion, Westwood is the best player to have never won a major and he will be keen to rid himself of this tag. His form this year has been very good with a couple of wins and close calls in each of his past six starts.
The Englishman will definitely be in the mix come Sunday afternoon.
PHIL MICKELSON
Lefty has finished second in the US Open five times but has never won and he runs the risk of ending his career as the Sam Snead of his generation – a multiple major winner without winning the one they desired most.
This course is set up perfectly for Mickelson’s big strength – a high ball flight. Think of the US Opens in the past decade where it has been hard and fast – Shinnecock Hills and Winged Foot for example – and Mickelson has been thereabouts.
Hard to see him not being on the leaderboard come back nine final round and it will be a great story if he realises his dream.
ADAM SCOTT
With Tiger Woods’ caddy, Steve Williams, on his bag I suspect we might just see Scotty take the next step in his career and win his first major.
Like Mickelson, Scott has a high ball flight and with the forthright and experienced Williams being his wingman, I can see the Queenslander being a real force at Congressional.
LUKE DONALD
The Englishman really needs to validate his World No.1 ranking by winning a major and his first opportunity as the game’s best player comes here.
While he lacks real length he is deadly accurate and on the greens, there are only a handful better than him on the PGA Tour this year. He finished fourth at the Masters this year which was just his fifth top-10 in majors in his career.
THE SMOKEY…
GEOFF OGILVY
Some may question my choice of Ogilvy as a smokey but any player listed at 50-1 odds or more is a smokey as far as I am concerned.
Of course, he won the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot and knows what is required in this arena to win. However, his preparation for this year’s championship has been hampered by injury and he even went to the extreme of spending time in a hyperbaric chamber to speed up his recovery from a shoulder injury sustained at the Players Championship.
AUSTRALIAN TV TIMES (EST)
Friday: 5am – 9am
Saturday: 5am – 9am
Sunday: 4am – 10am
Monday: 3:30am – 9:30am