June 15, 2011 - Bethesda, MD (AHN)

The United States Golf Association has a way of turning championship golf into an extreme test of patience and survival.

The 156 players who will tee off Thursday with their eyes on the 111th U.S. Open golf championship will face the ultimate star of this week -- the 7,572-yard Congressional Country Club.

It is a beast of a layout, the longest in the storied history of our nation's true championship.

The objective of the USGA over the 72-hole marathon is to identify the best player and that player will have to overcome conditions unlike most that players face in this country. In addition to its mind-boggling length, the course will have the graduate USGA rough, the farther a tee shot strays off line, the longer the grass is that welcomes it.

The greens will be beyond firm. The USGA hopes to have them running at 14 to 14.5 on the stimpmeter. Which in simple terms means that they are beyond fast.

"A very fair, great setup," is how defending champion Graeme McDowell describes Congressional. McDowell, who won his first major in this tournament last year at Pebble Beach, will attempt to become the first successful defending titlist since Curtis Stranger in 1989.

Players don't repeat often in this event simply because it takes a super-human effort to win one.

Phil Mickelson, who turns 41 Thursday, has finished second a heart-breaking five times in the Open.

He comes once again and like McDowell, feels the setup is good.

"I think it's a wonderfully fair test for such a long course," Mickelson said. Mickelson has put a souped-up two-iron in his bag but feels he'll do what he does naturally -- go more often than not with his driver. "I've found that, again, it's more advantageous to hit driver so I'm going to spend more time with that."

The contestants were putting the finishing touches on their preparations Wednesday with the exception of last week's winner of the BMW Italian Open on the European Tour -- Robert Rock.

Rock is stuck at home, trying to obtain a last-minute visa and he's having problems getting one on short notice.

If he can't get out of England, his spot will go to Richie Ramsey.

Otherwise, all hands are on board and this championship is wide open, moreso than any in previous years.

Tiger Woods is home nursing his injured knee and Achilles.

There is a super-strong contention from Europe, including the world's top-three players, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer. Of the three, only Kaymer has won a major championship and that was last August at the PGA.

Westwood has come close, he just missed the playoff in 2008 when Woods beat Rocco Mediate. Donald has not had a good U.S. Open record.

The American contingent is led by Mickelson and Steve Stricker, winner of the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. Mickelson was the last American to win a major and that was the 2010 Masters. Since then it's been a sweep by European players.

The examination begins early Thursday and runs until nearly sunset.

Unlike many events, par at the U.S. Open means something.

"Just be patient, really," said Donald, the world's no. 1. "It's always going to be tough out there. As they say, par is always a good score at a U.S. Open."

 

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