Tiger’s ominously on the prowl for a 15th Major
ON THE GREENS WITH
SAM TORRANCE
TIGER WOODS’ fantastic victory in the Memorial tournament a fortnight ago is ominous news for all those players hoping to capitalise on his supposedly drawn-out recovery from knee surgery when the US Open begins today.
Winning US Opens is all about hitting fairways and greens and Tiger’s victory in Ohio showed all the traits of arguably the best player the world has ever seen going for a 15th Major title this weekend.
Hitting 49 of 56 fairways, including 14 out of 14 on the final day, is magnificent golf and sends out a warning to his rivals that once again he has peaked just when he needed to.
BEAUTIFUL FLIGHTER
Few will be able to forget the sight of Tiger limping to a third US Open success at Torrey Pines last year. This year, he has no damaged limbs and renewed determination – he simply has to be the one to beat at Bethpage Black, New York, this weekend.
Of his main competitors, I really think world No3 Paul Casey has the game to win a Major. Paul is a beautiful flighter of the ball which means he can get the ball to stop easier on the hard greens. That gives you a great advantage on a US Open course and with Europe’s No1 player in the form of his life, I wouldn’t put it past him to finally land the big prize he so richly deserves.
Like Casey, Lee Westwood, who came so close last year, has the game to win a Major, while Jim Furyk is in good shape to add to the title he won in 2003. It promises to be fascinating.
US OPEN 2009 SELECTED FIRST ROUND TEE-TIMES AND ODDS
Starting at hole 1
(times at GMT)
12.44pm Vijay Singh (Fij), Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), K J Choi (Kor)
12.55pm Justin Leonard, Ian Poulter (Eng), Robert Allenby (Aus)
1.06pm Angel Cabrera (Arg), Padraig Harrington (Irl), Tiger Woods
1.28pm Zach Johnson, Lee Westwood (Eng), Shingo Katayama (Jpn)
6.25pm Camilo Villegas (Col), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Adam Scott (Aus)
6.36pm Sean O’Hair, Justin Rose (Eng), Ross Fisher (Eng)
Starting at hole 10
12.55pm Jim Furyk, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Paul Casey (Eng)
1.06pm Trevor Immelman (SA), Luke Donald (Eng), Tim Clark (SA)
6.14pm Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy (NI), Dustin Johnson
6.36pm Retief Goosen (SA), Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els (SA)
Odds (Paddy Power) – 7/4 T Woods; 16 G Ogilvy, 17 P Mickelson, 22 J Furyk, P Casey, 30 S Stricker, 40 R Goosen, S Garcia, 45 P Harrington