USA: GOLF - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Michael Campbell prepare for the upcoming U.S Open at Winged Foot.

Record ID: 664516

  • Title: USA: GOLF - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Michael Campbell prepare for the upcoming U.S Open at Winged Foot.
  • Date: 14th June 2006
  • Summary: MAMARONECK, NEW YORK, USA (JUNE 12, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT WINGED FOOT CLUBHOUSE US OPEN PIN FLAG TIGER WOODS AND JEFF SLUMAN ON COURSE TIGER WOODS TEES OFF ON PRACTICE ROUND
  • Embargoed: 29th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA6LS24MW9D90INBZ25CMN21DVG
  • Story Text: The grieving is over and the game is on. Tiger Woods has fixed his gaze on paying the best tribute he can to honour his late father by winning this week's U.S. Open at Winged Foot while Phil Mickelson and defending champion Michael Campbell also focus on the second major of the year.
    Woods said he had gone 30 days without touching a club before resuming practice, returning to the fundamental rhythms of his childhood when the golf prodigy was groomed by his father.
    "I think one of the hardest things for me in all honesty was to get back to the game of golf because a lot of my memories, great memories that I have with my Dad are at the golf course. It was hard at times going out there late in the evening like I always do," Woods said.
    Once he resumed, however, the 30-year-old world number one said he was comforted by the routines, which warmed him with the memory of happy times with his father.
    Phil Mickelson is reluctant to dwell on the possibility of winning a third consecutive major title at this week's U.S. Open.
    "I'm just trying to win one, I'm not trying to win three," the world number two told reporters at Winged Foot Golf Club on Tuesday.
    Mickelson claimed the U.S. PGA Championship at Baltusrol last August before clinching his second U.S. Masters at Augusta National in April.
    "I've had some success in this event where I've come close, losing by a shot or two, three times finishing second," added the American left-hander, who was U.S. Open runner-up in 1999, 2002 and 2004.
    "I know I can play well in this tournament, even though it doesn't necessarily fit my perception of how I've played with the thick rough and so on.
    "I still have had some success here, and all I'm trying to do is be successful on this one golf course at this one event."
    Mickelson will start Thursday's opening round as arguably the pre-tournament favourite, having triumphed three times in his last nine major starts while posting four other top-10 finishes.
    However, he will have to contend with the longest layout in U.S. Open history as well as the tournament's traditional thick rough, tight fairways and slick greens.
    The 36-year-old Californian tees off in Thursday's opening round with South Africa's Tim Clark and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark.
    Michael Campbell is delighted to be viewed as a long shot for his title defence at this week's U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club.
    The New Zealander has been made a 100-1 chance by British bookmaker William Hill, with twice champion Tiger Woods the pre-tournament favourite at 6-1.
    "Let Tiger and Phil and Vijay (Singh) have all the attention, all the hoopla, and I can just do what I did last year," Campbell said Tuesday.
    "Fantastic, bring it on. I know I've got a chance. I'm just going to go out there and play golf.
    "Last year, no one gave me a chance to win, and I won," added the 37-year-old, who held off a final-round charge by Woods at Pinehurst to clinch his maiden major title.
    "Once again, no one has given me a chance this year, apart from myself which is the most important thing.
    Campbell became the first New Zealander to win a major since left-hander Bob Charles claimed the 1963 British Open.
    Campbell is scheduled to launch his defense in the company of world number one Woods and U.S. amateur champion Edoardo Molinari of Italy in Thursday's opening round.
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