C M Y K D5

sports
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 THE LONDON FREE PRESS D5

u.s.open
Tiger Can Tiger nd his way back
vs. to being the most dominant

Phil gure in sports?

out of the
Tiger Woods might be
ranked No. 1 in the world,
but hes no Phil Mickelson.
In the last ve tournaments
theyve both entered dating
back to the end of last
season, Mickelson nished
ahead of Woods all ve
times, winning three of the
events and nishing second
and fth in the other two.
Asked if its just a
conincidence that hes
played his best golf with
Tiger in the eld, Mickelson
kept it honest.
I dont know, he said. But
probably not.
ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI
QMI Agency

The last time Tiger Woods

played a U.S. Open at Pebble
Woods?
Beach, Sports Illustrated, acting
on advice from The Department
of the Obvious, called it the
reunion. I cant remember what
the key is. I should remember.
I need to remember. But it was
just one of those weeks where I
just found that one key, and o
I went.
Though he is back at the scene
of his greatest achievement,
he lost a Sunday duel (by five
shots!), to YE Yang at last years
PGA Championship the per-
sonal upheaval certainly hasnt
helped.
He lost to rival Phil Mickelson
at the Masters in his first tour-
nament back and hasnt looked
Sunday on the back nine. Theres
steps to it.
It has been slow going. Hes
104th in driving distance, 163rd
in driving accuracy, 189th in
total driving (combination of
distance and accuracy), 85th
in greens in regulation, 41st in
and U.S. Open, Woods went
underground for a 10-day mini
camp and crammed like a col-
lege student for the big exam.
Just retracing my steps, just
like what Ive always done when I
was working with Hank (Haney),
when I was working with Butch
Head-to-head greatest performance in golf his-
tory.
theres no disputing that Woods
is in an entirely different place
particularly good in any appear-
ance since. He missed the cut
scoring average and 111th on the
money list.
(Harmon), he said. When you
get o, youve got to retrace your
2010 After Woods added a 12-stroke this time. at Quail Hollow, withdrew from His swing coach even left him, steps. Youve got to go back and
Masters triumph at the 1997 Masters to If 2000 at Pebble was the best The Players Championship with saying he didnt want to deal take it step by step.
Mickelson 1st (272) his collection of conquered sum- of times, with Tiger well on his a neck injury and finished T19 with the circus. Nobody quits So what can we expect when
mits, nobody thought a higher way to becoming the richest, at The Memorial, a tournament Tiger, Tiger quits them, so its he tees of on Thursday? The new
Woods T4 (277) apex even existed, but the 2000 most famous, most dominating hed won four times before, pretty clear things are not work- Tiger, the guy whos looked so
U.S. Open stood out then, and gure in sports, 2010 is the worst plunking three fans with way- ing right now. pedestrian this season, missing
Quail Hollow still does now, like a skyscraper of times. ward shots on Sunday. Still not quite right, Woods fairways, putts and cuts? Or will
10
Mickelson 2nd (277) on top of Mount Everest. Age, health and a laundry list The last six months have been said after the Memorial. I felt a return to Pebble be enough
Woods (missed Cut) A 15-stroke victory, going 12- of indiscretions have rendered pretty tough, admitted Woods, a little bit defensive. I was just to re-ignite the old Tiger, who
20 under in a week where nobody a player once thought to be whos nding the road back a lot trying to put it into play instead beat the premier golf course in
Memorial else could even break par, set or Superman into a mere mortal longer than he rst anticipated. of going ahead and letting it go, America, and the Tour players
30 tied nine Open scoring records fallible, vulnerable and infi- Im now starting to get into golf trying to place the ball in the on it, like theyve never been
Mickelson T5 (277)
and broke the 138-year-old mark nitely beatable. Between the car and starting to play golf again correct sides of the fairway to beaten before?
Woods T19 (282) set by Old Tom Morris for larg- accident, sordid tales of strippers and get into my routine of play- get myself angles instead of just In evaluating himself after
40 est margin of victory in a major and porn stars, marriage trouble, ing, which is something I havent going ahead and hitting it down the Memorial, Woods said hes
2009 championship. rehab, missed cuts and with- done in a long time. there and ripping like everybody about halfway back to being the
50 Tour Championship It was a great players great- drawals, Woods has basically hit Its great to hit it at home else does. old Tiger.
Mickelson 1st (271) est work his Sistine Chapel, for the John Daly cycle in the last (in practice rounds), but I But now hes back at Pebble Ten years ago, that might have
Woods 2nd (274) his Taj Mahal, his Stairway to eight months. need to bring it out (on Tour). Beach, and if there is any place been enough.
60 Heaven. And if he wasnt getting it done Ultimately, once you bring it out where there ought to be some
Just found something, Woods before the skeletons began pour- here, youve got to bring it to a good mojo for a guy running robert.tychkowski@sunmedia.ca
World Golf Championship
70 said last week at The Memorial, ing out of his closet like some major championship. Once you desperately short of it, its here.
Mickelson 1st (271) before going underground to giant conga line his last major do that, youve got to bring it to Without much time to fix
Woods T6 (276) prepare for this weeks 10-year win was the 2008 U.S. Open and the major championship on a things between the Memorial
80

Hole-by-hole guide
90

100

This years U.S. Open taking place June 1720 will be the 110th C ARD OF THE C OURSE Par 71 7,040 yards Entering to play
tournament. It is the fth U.S. Open to be played at Pebble Beach Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out Any professional, as well as
Golf Links in California, and the rst since 2000. Par 4 4 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 35 any amateur golfer with a
Yards 380 502 404 331 195 523 109 428 505 3,377
USGA Handicap Index not
exceeding 1.4 may enter.
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In
9,052 entries were accepted
Par 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 5 36
this year, the second-most in
Yards 495 390 202 445 580 397 403 208 543 3,663 history.

Pebble Beach Golf Links LOCAL QUALIFYING

Played over 18 holes
Was held at 111 sites
between May 7-20

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING
Played over 36 holes
STILLWATER Was held at two interna-
COVE tional sites on May 24 and 13
U.S. sites on June 7.
le B each
Pebb Pescadero Point C
a
rm CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
e
l Starting 156 golfers will be
B cut after 36 holes to the low
e
The holes Changes since 2000
Arrowhead
Point
C A R M E L B A Y a
c
h
60 scorers (and ties), and
any player within 10 strokes
of the leader.
H OLE 1 380 yards Par 4 HOLE 2 502 yards Par 4 HOLE 3 404 yards Par 4
Rebuilt, larger
green
New championship tee
(+15 yards)
New championship tee
(+15 yards) Whats up for grabs
Purse (2009s winners share
was $1.35M U.S.)
Three new Rebuilt, U.S. Open qualication
Redesigned greenside bunkers Rebuilt green, new bunker left of fairway bunkers right of fairway larger green exemption for next 10 years
Invitation to next ve Masters
HOLE 4 331 yards Par 4 HOLE 5 195 yards Par 3 H OLE 6 523 yards Par 5
Championship tee lengthened Five new bunkers
Invitation to next ve British Opens
by 10 yards left of fairway Invitation to next ve PGA
Championships
Invitation to next ve PLAYERS
Changes to New bunker on left of Championships
fairway bunkers second shot landing area PGA Tour exempt status for ve years
HOLE 7 109 yards Par 3 HOLE 8 428 yards Par 4 HOLE 9 505 yards Par 4 HOLE 10 495 yards Par 4
Rebuilt tee complex Upper tee surface
added

New championship tee (+50 yards) New championship tee (+50 yards)

HOLE 11 390 yards Par 4 HOLE 12 202 yards Par 3 HOLE 13 445 yards Par 4 HOLE 14 580 yards Par 5
No changes New championship tee Rebuilt tee
(+45 yards)

Two new bunkers on left,

New championship tee (+10 yards) one new bunker on right of fairway

HOLE 15 397 yards Par 4 HOLE 16 403 yards Par 4 HOLE 17 208 yards Par 3 HOLE 18 543 yards Par 5
Rebuilt green, ve new Rebuilt teeing Seawall fairway bunker expanded
bunkers left of fairway grounds

Trees planted Three large trees New bunker

right of fairway planted to create true dogleg on hole Tee complex renovated right of fairway
Sources: Graphic News; usopen.com