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Time on My Side in Major Quest, Woods Insists
Masters Champ Watson Ready for Golf Again
Woods Pairing A Boost to Mickelson's US Open Bid
England Expects - from Donald and Westwood
Time on My Side in Major Quest, Woods Insists
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, 2012 (AFP) - Despite a major victory drought stretching back four years, Tiger Woods insisted Tuesday he still has time to surpass Jack Nicklaus's record total of 18 major golf titles.
"Well, Jack did it at 46, right? So I've got 10 (years)," Woods said Tuesday as he prepared to tee of Thursday in the US Open at The Olympic Club, recalling Nicklaus's sensational Masters win in 1986.
"Watson almost pulled it off at 59," Woods added, a reference to US legend Tom Watson's scintillating near-miss at the 2009 British Open at Carnoustie.
"It can be done," Woods said. "We can play for a very long time. That's the great thing about staying in shape and lifting weights and being fit -- the playing careers have been extended."
It once seemed inevitable that Woods would surpass Nicklaus's mark. But since claiming his 14th major title at the 2008 US Open Woods hasn't won one of golf's Grand Slam events.
When he hobbled off to knee surgery after his stirring playoff triumph at Torrey Pines four years ago, Woods was the game's dominant force.
Since then, however, injuries, the sex scandal that led to divorce, swing changes under a new coach and a new caddie have all contributed to an extended tour-level title drought that stretched from November 2009 until his victory at Bay Hill in March.
Woods missed both the US Open and British Open last year with left knee and Achilles injuries, then missed the cut at the PGA Championship in August.
His Bay Hill victory raised expectations for the Masters, although Woods himself says he knew in April his swing still wasn't all it should be.
Clearly frustrated en route to a tie for 40th at Augusta National, Woods said he wasn't entirely surprised.
However, he said his win a fortnight ago at the Memorial was a different story.
"When I went into Augusta, I did not feel comfortable hitting the ball up," Woods said. "I got back into a lot of my old patterns. Unfortunately, it didn't work out."
At the Memorial, Woods said, "I had those shots and I was doing it the correct way. I had compression, hitting the ball high and hitting it long."
At the Memorial, Woods made a believer out of tournament host Nicklaus.
"I suspect No. 15 will come for Tiger Woods in about two weeks," Nicklaus said at the trophy presentation.
"If he drives the ball this way, and plays this way, I'm sure it will. And if not, it will surprise me greatly."
It will be vital that Woods's re-tooled swing stand up if he is to have any chance at joing Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson as the only four-time US Open champions.
"I think this probably tests the player more than any other championship," he said. "We have to shape the ball. We have to hit the ball high. We have to hit the ball low. Our short game's got to be dialed in."
Putting, too, will be key. Woods said he made "a ton" of putts at Memorial 10 feet and shorter, but "didn't make anything" from 15-20 feet.
"On this golf course it's going to be difficult to get the ball close," he said. "I'm going to rely a lot on lag putting and obviously we're going to have to make those short putts."
One thing Woods doesn't expect to be a factor, despite the many awkward stances produced by the hilly terrain of Olympic's Lake Course, is his oft-injured left knee.
"It's finally a non-issue," Woods said.
Even if he is holding up the trophy come Sunday evening, Woods said it wouldn't end the debate on whether he is truly back to his old dominant self.
"I think even if I do win a Major championship, it will still be 'You're not to 18 yet, or when will you get to 19," he said.
"It's always something. I've dealt with that my entire career ... it hasn't changed."
Masters Champ Watson Ready for Golf Again
SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 12, 2012 (AFP) - It has been a momentous first half of the year for Bubba Watson and one that has left him unsure of quite what to expect of himself when he tees off in the US Open on Thursday.
In April, the 33-year-old big-hitter from Bagdad, Florida, won The Masters, taking the first major of his career in spectacular fashion in a playoff victory over South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen at Augusta National.
At the same time, Watson and wife Angela adopted a baby son Caleb, a doubly-emotional occasion for the golfer as his father Gerry died of throat cancer in October 2010.
Straight after his Masters win, Watson spurned the usual rounds of celebrations, media demands and talkshows and instead returned home to Florida be with his wife and son.
That is something he says he will never regret.
"Winning the tournament is great. Winning a Masters is great. But being a father is the best part. And being a better husband is a good part, too," he said.
"It's been fun. It's been life changing.
"But having a son, it's a difficult situation for me, too, having a son the same time I won the Masters.
"There's more important things in life. Being there for my son, who never had a man's voice, never had a man around, I needed to be there for my son.
"And hopefully later on in life he understands that, that I won the Masters, but I was there for him and I talked about him a lot."
The extended break from golf left Watson feeling admittedly rusty and he struggled on his comeback, missing the cut at the Memorial earlier this month.
He also has some reservations about the changes made to the layout at The Olympic Club, but feels that he is on schedule to at least post a challenge.
"It's been a tough road trying to get back to golf, trying to get back to focusing on golf," he said.
"Now after missing the cut a couple of weeks ago, I got mad enough and started practicing. I'm as ready as I can be."
Watson also knows that perceptions of him have changed since his triumph at Augusta.
Better-known previously for his ability to hit huge shots, he was seldom cited among the favourites for glory in the majors.
All that has changed and Watson believes that the wealth of experience he accumulated on the final day at Augusta National can only help his cause this week should a similar situation arise.
"It's always in the back of your mind that you've done it once, you can do it again," he said.
"So when it comes down to the last few holes, if I'm around the lead or tied for the lead or one up, I know I've been there before, and I've done it and I can do it again.
"It does help a lot having that in your back pocket, knowing you've done it before."
Watson will be immediately in the spotlight on Thursday, like it or not, as he tees off in the company of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in what will be the day's biggest draw.
Woods Pairing A Boost to Mickelson's US Open Bid
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, 2012 (AFP) - Phil Mickelson couldn't be happier that his bid for an elusive US Open title -- after five runner-up finishes -- will start with a first-round pairing with longtime rival Tiger Woods.
"I get excited to play with Tiger," said Mickelson, who will tee off at The Olympic Club's ninth hole at 7:33 am (1433 GMT) on Thursday with Woods and Masters champion Bubba Watson.
"He gets the best out of me," added Mickelson. "I think when it's time to tee off on Thursday I'll be ready to play. One of the issues I've had this year, I've been a little mentally lethargic on Thursday and Friday. I won't be this week."
It would seem like Mickelson, 41, wouldn't need any extra incentive to focus at a US Open.
The Californian owns four major titles, but has never won his national open championship.
His five near-misses include an epic disappointment at Winged Foot in 2006, where he arrived holding both the PGA Championship and Masters titles and led by two shots with three holes to play.
A bogey at 16 and a double bogey at 18 helped hand the title to Australian Geoff Ogilvy.
Mickelson still cites that finish as the most heart-breaking of his US Open second places, which also include a one-stroke defeat to Payne Stewart in 1999 at Pinehurst, a runner-up finish to Woods in 2002 at Bethpage and a loss to Retief Goosen at Shinnecock in 2004 -- when Mickelson led by a stroke with two to play but bogeyed 17.
At Bethpage again in 2009, Mickelson shared the lead in the final round but saw Lucas Glover lift the trophy.
"I think it helps me," Mickelson said of the close calls. "Because this is a tournament where, if you look at my game from 20,000 feet, you'd say, 'Well, that's probably not the best set-up for the way he likes to play.'
"And yet, five times I've had opportunities, I've come close. It gives me the belief that I can compete and be in contention on Sunday in this tournament."
Over the years Mickelson has attacked the US Open with different strategies, from methodical preparation at the championship course to the decision one year not to carry a driver.
He'll have the driver in his bag this week, Mickelson said, but he doesn't expect to use it often.
Thursday will mark the first time Woods and Mickelson have been paired together in the US Open since 2008, when the US Golf Association made the pairings from the world rankings.
They last played together in the final round of the US PGA Tour event at Pebble Beach this year, where Mickelson claimed his most recent victory.
Apart from the intensity playing alongside Woods brings, Mickelson said he has another reason to like the pairing with the 14-time major champion.
"The one player I'm most concerned about if I play my best golf that may have a chance to beat me is Tiger," Mickelson said. "Sometimes we'll get a huge advantage in tee times, based on weather conditions or whatnot. If we're in the same wavelength neither of us will have a distinct advantage."
While the marquee grouping sparked plenty of conversation, Woods said he didn't expect a lot of small talk among the players.
"This is a major championship. We've got work to do," Woods said. "It's such a test playing in this championship.
"I think this is one of those championships that I think the guys talk the least to one another because it's so difficult."
England Expects - from Donald and Westwood
SAN FRANCISCO, June 20, 2012 (AFP) - World No. 1 Luke Donald and No. 3 Lee Westwood will once again shoulder the burden of English hopes at the US Open, which starts on Thursday at The Olympic Club.
No Englishman has won one of the four majors since Nick Faldo's dramatic come-from-behind victory over Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters.
Since then there have been major titles for Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, South Korea and, in the last two years, three for little Northern Ireland alone.
But the English tally has remained as it was 16 years ago when Faldo won the last of his six major titles.
The lack of major success is all the more galling for English golf fans in that it comes at a time of unprecedented success for their golfers in the world rankings with Donald and Westwood, along with Ulsterman Rory McIlroy, swapping the top spot over the last year.
Donald is aware of the paradox.
"It's been a while since we have had an English winner in a major Championship," he said.
"The English love their golf, you can see that passion and support they had for me and some of the other English players at Wentworth (PGA Championship) a few weeks ago.
"They're very passionate about it and of course they want us to succeed and hopefully I'll have a good chance to do that this week."
Donald has not enjoyed much success at all at the US Open with a best finish in eight attempts of tied for 12th at Winged Foot in 2006.
But many feel that the tight fairways and treacherous greens offered up by The Olympic Club could be right up his street.
Donald can understand why they might feel that way.
"I feel that most of the tee shots out there fit reasonably well with my eye," he said.
"I feel more comfortable and more in control of the ball if I'm hitting a slight fade.
"The draw, over the last past couple years has been a tougher shot for me to hit consistently and start on the right line.
"The fade is a little bit easier shot. I think that's probably the same for the majority of the players.
"So as this course demands a few more of those, I feel like it suits my eye reasonably well."
Westwood, in contrast, does have some good pedigree at the US Open with two third-place finishes in the last four years.
But there again, Westwood has come close in all four of the majors in recent times and has yet to get past the post.
At 39 years old the clock is running down for the Englishman although he remains fatalistic about his prospects.
"Maybe I'll never win one. Maybe I will. I could," he said.
"I've got no answer to that. Keep working hard and trying to get myself into the position. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't."
Westwood arrived at San Francisco on the back of a five-stroke victory in Sweden's Nordea Masters on Saturday -- achieved with a new set of irons and a new caddie on the bag.