(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
To golf fans, the official start to summer is the United States Open Championship, the second of the four grand slam events.
The 109th edition of golf's second oldest major will be played this week on the Black course at Bethpage State Park in Nassau County, New York. The course last hosted the event in 2002, when world No. 1 Tiger Woods earned a three-shot victory over Phil Mickelson.
Both Mickelson and Woods are among the favorites again in 2009, and both offer intriguing story lines for fans and members of the golfing press.
Woods, of course, is the defending champion after his amazing and courageous win at Torrey Pines in 2008 while playing on a badly injured knee. A win at Bethpage would be his 15th professional major and move him one step closer to Jack Nicklaus' all-time record of 18. It would also signal his return as the undisputed best player in the world.
Mickelson, who has always been a crowd favorite among the boisterous Long Island crowds, will be a sentimental choice because of the health issues of his wife Amy, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
A win would also erase some of the sting of his collapse on the final hole at Winged Foot in 2006 when, needing a par to win, Phil made an ugly double bogey to lose by a shot. Mickelson is winless in the 11 majors played since that June Sunday.
Of course there are other golfers in the field, even if Phil and Tiger frequently monopolize the attention of both the galleries and TV viewers. Here is my list of the 20 players most likely to win the U.S. Open, from No. 20 to No. 1.
No. 20—Hunter Mahan, United States
Mahan is a great ball striker, currently ranked 13th in total driving and 14th in ball striking on the PGA Tour. He's also one of a handful of young Americans who should win a major someday.
A streaky putter, Mahan can make birdies in bunches when he gets hot. While that typically doesn't suit the style of play required at a U.S. Open, the 49th-ranked player in world showed he might be ready for a major breakthrough with a 10th-place finish at the 2009 Masters.
No. 19—Stephen Ames, Canada
Ranked 52nd in the world, the native of Trinidad has a game suited for U.S. Open venues and a proven track record in golf's toughest events, including a victory in the 2006 Players Championship.
Sometimes underappreciated by golf fans, the 45-year-old is ranked ninth in the PGA's all-around category and is a serious threat to contend.
No. 18—Sean O'Hair, United States
The 26-year-old has been improving steadily since joining the tour in 1999 but has really come into his own this season. O'Hair has five top tens in 11 starts in 2009, including a fourth at the Mercedes-Benz Championship and 10th place finishes at Pebble Beach and the Masters.
But it was his second place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he lost a five-stroke, 54-hole lead to Tiger Woods, and his impressive victory five weeks later at the Quail Hollow Championship that served notice that he's someone to watch when golf's best get together.
No. 17—Angel Cabrera, Argentina
The big Argentine is a two-time major champion, backing up his victory in the 2007 U.S. Open with a win in this year's Masters.
Based on his record as a whole in 2009 (five missed cuts in 10 official starts on the PGA and European tours), it would be hard to imagine Cabrera getting two wins away from a grand slam, especially when you consider his atrocious driving statistics, where he ranks 189th in accuracy.
But his Masters win and a 14th-place finish at the Players shows he should never be discounted at golf's major events.
No. 16—Camillo Villegas, Columbia
The South American sensation, known more for his buff bod, Spiderman-like green reading techniques, and matinee idol looks prior to last season, exploded with a pair of wins during the FedEx Cup playoffs in 2008. The results have been a little less spectacular in 2009, with a pair of top tens (Buick Invitational and the WGC-CA Championship) and a T13th at the Masters ranking as his best finishes.
Still, the 27-year-old is an exceptional ball striker (ranks second in ball striking on the PGA Tour) and could contend if the putter cooperates.
No. 15—Retief Goosen, South Africa
The two-time United States Open Champion (2001 and 2004) has had an up and down year. He won for the first time in two seasons at the Transitions Championship in March but has struggled since, including missed cuts at the Masters and the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour's marquee event.
Goosen does know how to win this championship, however, and if you had to have a guy other than Tiger make a four-foot downhill slider on U.S. Open greens to save your life, he's your guy.
No. 14—Steve Stricker, United States
The Wisconsin native recorded his second career win three weeks ago at the Crowne Plaza Invitational and is in solid form heading into the championship. Only an average driver (105th in driving distance), Stricker makes up for it with exceptional iron play and some of the best putting on tour.
Bethpage may be too long for him, but if he gets the putter working, he could hang around.
No. 13—K.J. Choi, South Korea
Choi always seems to save his best for golf's biggest stages. He has seven career PGA wins but only a single top-10 this year, a third-place finish at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles. He did finish 13th at the Memorial in his last start, so he could be rounding into form.
He hits the ball so straight that his game is suited for the U.S. Open test; he could contend.
No. 12—Ernie Els, South Africa
The Big Easy is a two-time U.S. Open winner (1994 and 1997) but hasn't been the same since knee surgery in 2005. His swing still looks as silky smooth as ever, but the putts just don't seem to fall any more.
That being said, he knows how to win majors, and an eighth-place finish at the Memorial shows he may be ready to challenge for a fourth grand slam title.
No. 11—David Toms, United States
The 2001 PGA Champion probably doesn't hit it far enough to win at Bethpage, but he does everything else so well that you have to give him a chance.
One of the tour's best putters, he also leads the tour in driving accuracy, an important stat at any U.S. Open.
Despite not winning in 2009, Toms has been amazingly consistent, with six top tens in 14 starts and a pair of second-place finishes in Hawaii and at the St. Jude last week.
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