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Phil, Phil, Phil, he's due.

Di MArco and Mickelson would be strong candidates, with Luke Donald a good each way bet.Love to see Ernie rise to it ,don't count out Tiger.

I may be totally off on this one, but I'm going with a wildcard:

ZACH JOHNSON. Why? I was observing him at the Colonial last week, and his driving was immensely accurate. He had a good start to the year, and has been slipping a little bit lately, but I'd like to see him get one. The stats below are not terrific, but I was in awe of his driving last week.

Driving Accuracy Percentage 68.0% 26th Fwys Hit - 450 Poss. Fwys - 662
Greens in Regulation Pct. 67.5% 39th Greens Hit - 571 # Holes - 846

I can't make any predictions until I know how they're setting the course up. If it was like 1999 (inconsequential rough), I'd favor the usual suspects: Woods, Singh, Els, Goosen, Mickelson or even Daly. If they let the rough grow, as I expect, then it "opens" it up to a larger swath of players.

Singh, Goosen, Donald

I am goin with Ernie.

Hard to pick against Vijay, but as tricky as the green complexes are, and how important chipping/pitching will be, I would think Phil has the best chance.

Phil, he likes a US Open set up Pinehurst as we know (99)

Tiger, its all about the Majors for him now.....

Els, always there or there abouts at the US Open and hes one of only 4 guys in the field with a chance that has won it more than once (Els, Tiger, Goosen, Janzen)

Vijay, he's probably due one but his driving stats arent too great and if he putts like he did at Augusta.........

Monty!!!!! Just cos I want him to win one (he should have 2 himself)

D.

Will he be in the field?? I'm rooting for him as well if he's there. The man has paid his dues and gets a lot of respect from me for what he's done in the game.

I'm hopeful he will perform well the next couple of tourneys over here and climb the three places he currently needs to.

Its still an absolute travesty that Katayama got into the masters simply because he was Japanese and they wanted to increase their audience in Japan by having some partisan interest.

Not for the first time Monty was victim of the corporate ****** who run the game at the tour level.

D.

Mickelson and Tiger better start driving it straight if they're going to contend. I'm sorry, but I don't see them there at the end. Both are off their game right now and are driving the ball poorly.

As for my pick, I'm going to go with Goosen to defend. He's won 2 titles in 4 years. Pinehurst is a good course setup for him. He plays very well on tough courses. And out of the big 5, he drives the ball the straightest. Also, don't be surprised to see David Toms up there. He was red hot earlier this year until the court incident, but that's past him now and you're starting to see his game shape back into form.

I'll go with VJ if he putts reasonably well.

For those who may not be familiar with it, this year has quite possibly been the worst year for growing grass in the Eastern US that I can remember (not too many years though for me ). Anyone remember how short the rough was at the Wachovia? Pinehurst can't have had a much easier time, and unless something has dramatically changed since then, it won't be long or thick for the US Open. I didn't expect it to be anyway, given that in 1999 the USGA left it a bit shorter to tempt guys into going at those devilish surfaces from the rough.....a lot will depend on the conditions that week, but I'm thinking Pinehurst will be a bomber's paradise, and those bombers with the best short games will thrive. I'll go with Phil or Tiger to win, with Ernie and Vijay carding good showings as well. If any of the little guys might sneak in to win I'd give Donald, Weir or Toms a chance if they can be on their A++ games that week.

Hope this helps......

When players arrive at Pinehurst for the 105th U.S. Open, they'll find a golf course that will play longer and tighter than it did for the '99 Open, and one that just may be the longest in U.S. Open history.

The project of adding nearly as much as 125 yards to the course should be completed by the end of the month and could bring the total length to 7,300 yards. Five tee boxes have been pushed back, including one that extends the 11th hole from 453 to about 485 yards. The second, fourth and 11th holes will also be extended about 30 yards apiece, while the tee at the seventh has been moved back and to the left to create a more severe dogleg. The biggest change is on the 4th hole, an uphill par 5 that was the easiest hole on the course during the ’99 Open. This year it will play over 570 yards, with the landing area on an upslope that will produce shorter rolls and longer shots into the green. Only the longest hitters will be able to get home in two, and with a lot of undulations in the green, eagles there will be an endangered species.

The 11th hole will be no picnic, either. After playing at 453 yards in ’99, it’s been stretched to 485 for ’05—one of the longest par 4s in Open history.


If the length isn't enough, Pinehurst should be much tighter next summer. Course superintendent Paul Jett said the fairways will be cut 24-26 yards wide -- with the exception of the third (narrower) and fifth (wider). In 1999, fairways were cut 28 to 32 yards wide.