ARDMORE: World number one Tiger Woods tries to end a five-year major title drought in next week’s 113th US Open at Merion, where a mix of formidable long and short holes will test golf’s best.
Woods has won four titles this season, pulling him four wins shy of matching Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82 PGA titles. But he has not taken a major since the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines, where he won a play-off on a broken leg.
“My game is coming around, and to have won seven times the last couple years is something I’m proud of,” Woods said. “What I’ve done from last year and this year, being healthy, it’s certainly pretty positive.”
Woods has won at Torrey Pines, Doral, Bay Hill and the Players Championship this year and shared fourth at the Masters for the third time in the past four years, but crashed to a share of 65th at last week’s Memorial.
“I didn’t putt very well,” Woods said. “I thought the greens didn’t look that fast, but they were putting fast. I could never get the speed of them. It was just one of those weeks. It happens.”
Some critics say the course is too small to be a formidable major tournament host.
Phil Mickelson, the US left-hander who has won three Masters and a PGA Championship, has settled for second in five US Opens, most recently in 2009.
“Finishing second five times and not ever winning it would be a huge disappointment,” Mickelson said.
“Merion is going to be a good opportunity for me because it’s not necessary to hit drivers off a lot of holes. I’ll be hitting a lot of 3-woods, hybrids, and long irons in.
“The strength of my game is short, mid-irons into the green. I think that will give me a good chance,” he added.
World number two Rory McIlroy, who shared 25th at the Masters and 57th at Memorial last week, won his first major at the 2011 US Open at Congressional and says he only needs ‘to fashion a solid 72 holes when it matters most’. REUTERS
