2013 US Open Preview

Guest article from Derek Clements for the 2013 US Open. Will the winner come from Europe ? American golfers have dominated the PGA Tour this season but Scott's victory at The Masters has put Australian golf back on the map.

IF Sergio Garcia arrives at Merion for the US Open hoping that his spat with Tiger Woods has been forgotten then he is in for a very nasty surprise.

Although the gallery will be predominantly white Americans, most will be rooting for Woods. And that means they will not be holding anything back on anybody who has wronged their man. Garcia has, of course, wronged their man. More than once.
Not content with letting things lie after their falling out during the Players Championship, the Spaniard stirred things up again during the BMW PGA championship at Wentworth. He said that he would be happy to have Woods round for dinner at Merion, and would be serving him fried chicken.

It was a crass remark, but not one that should have come as any surprise to those who know anything at all about Garcia. Make no mistake - he knew precisely what he was saying. So while we should all be focusing on the second major of the year, we will instead be knee-deep in the continuing fallout.

And is there anybody out there who doesn't think that the USGA will pair Woods and Garcia together for the first two rounds? Nothing will make Tiger more determined to win than the prospect of playing 36 holes with a man whose face he wants to rub in the dirt. It would be in the best interests of the rest of the field then, if somebody were to take Garcia aside and tell him that he had better waste no time in seeking out Woods and apologising, even if he has to go down on knee to do so.

Jack Nicklaus once said: "Acre for acre, Merion may be the best test of golf in the world." It last hosted the US Open in 1981, when the winner was David Graham. Ten years earlier, Lee Trevino was champion. Ben Hogan took the title when it was staged there in 1950. Oh yes, and a certain Bobby Jones won the US Amateur at Merion in 1930.

The course is less than 7,000 yards long, so you can be sure that the rough will be thick and juicy and the greens will be running faster than Usain Bolt. What does that mean? It means that Woods can leave his driver in the bag and negotiate the course with a three wood. And let's not forget that there is nobody in the world who is better on quick, tricked-up greens than the world No1.

Garciagate will only serve to get Woods even more fired up than normal, and that is bad, bad news for everybody else in the field.

If he doesn't triumph, who is most likely to hold the trophy aloft on Father's Day? Steve Stricker may well be in the autumn of his career but he is a straight hitter who possesses the touch of an angel on the greens. There would be no more popular champion. The question, however is: can he keep it going for 72 holes? The answer, probably, is no.

American golfers have dominated the PGA Tour this season, and it would be a surprise if Brandt Snedeker, Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar or Keegan Bradley are not there or thereabouts.

With Adam Scott's victory at The Masters having put Australian golf back on the map, expect Jason Day to go close again. But let's all hope that he has found a pre-shot routine to replace the one that was de rigeur at Augusta. Closing your eyes for what seems like an eternity before playing a golf shot simply will not do.

Rory McIlroy remains a shadow of the golfer who dominated 2012. He will win more majors, but not this one. Lee Westwood also appears to have seen his best chances come and go. The course should be made for Luke Donald, but the Englishman is having a dreadful time and comfortably missed the cut as defending champion at Wentworth. And it's not just one part of his game that is causing him problems - everything is out of tune, even his wonderful putting stroke. We should remember that class is permanent, but Donald is definitely a long-odds outsider.

And don't be in the least surprised if 20-year-old Italian sensation Matteo Manaserro figures in the final shakedown. The fact that this is a relatively short course will play to his strengths and he is full of confidence after his victory in the BMW PGA championship, with his world ranking now 30. You can bet your mortage that he will soon be in the top 10.

If the winner is to come from Europe, Graeme McDowell is the man who is most likely to do it. A former winner of this title, his confidence is sky-high as he is fresh off a win on the PGA Tour, followed by victory in the Volvo World Matchplay championship - a tournament played in Bulgaria before the proverbial man and his dog.

McDowell is the complete player and he has everything that is required to win a second major. He hits the ball straight, makes his rescue club talk, is sensational from 120 yards and in, and is an excellent putter. What's more, Merion should suit him right down to the ground. If he brings anything approaching his A-game to the course then he will be hard to beat, and he will finally give us something to talk about other than unseemly off-course shenanigans.

Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]