Storylines and What To Look Out For in This Year's U.S. Open

The U.S. Open golf championship is upon us, and for many golf fans this is a special time of year.

Father’s Day weekend always has provided and will continue to provide the perfect backdrop for this great championship. Almost every golfer can think back to a special moment that they shared with their father or with their children on the golf course.   

That being said, story lines once again this year are abundant at the Open. After proving to be more than a tough challenge for golf’s best, the championship returns to Bethpage Black, a public course where Tiger Woods outdueled the fan favorite Phil Mickelson to win by three shots. 

Tiger will once again undoubtedly be the perennial favorite to repeat his impressive performance from 2002. Factor in that he is also the defending champion and he can now hit the ball straight off the tee, it will be hard to bet against this man.  Oh and by the way, he is still the number one player in the world.

Also, Phil Mickelson will also draw a lot of headlines this week as his wife prepares for surgery after her recent diagnosis of breast cancer.  Phil will obviously be playing with a heavy heart and will be able to count on a huge amount of fan support that he has enjoyed in the New York area.  If Phil can defeat those demons from U.S. Opens past and concentrate on his game, he should be a factor.

Rocco Mediate is also returning to the year’s second major, following his memorable and unexpected performance last year. Rocco has not had much to show for since his epic battle last year with the world’s greatest player, but one has to imagine that he will have some level of confidence in his game after what he was able to accomplish in the 2008 edition of the championship.

There are other players that could be prove to be a factor though. The usual suspects like Furyk, Singh, and Angel Cabrera to name a few. It will be interesting to see if any of these men can emerge and challenge for the win. 

Finally, it will be hard to imagine that this year’s U.S. Open will be able to top the excitement and drama that was witnessed last year at Torrey Pines, as a broken Tiger Woods limped his way to victory after 91 holes in what I have documented as the greatest sporting achievement of this decade.

All in all, expect great theater as the best players in the world tackle the toughest test in golf, the U.S Open Championship.  Happy Father’s Day to all.