Tiger, Rory and the top five reasons to watch the US Open

It is hard to look beyond Tiger Woods in the search for story lines around the US Open, the year’s second golf major, which starts today at the Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania. He hasn’t won a major in five years but has won four times this year, is back to no 1 in the world, been involved in a racially-tinged spat with Sergio Garcia and said he still loves kicking “everyone’s butt”. But there are actually other story lines heading into the tournament that make the US Open one of the more compelling in recent years. Here are our top five reasons to watch the 2103 US Open (and yes, of course Woods is on the list): [caption id=“attachment_869053” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Will Tiger Woods break his five-year duck in the Majors or will Rory win a second US Open? Reuters[/caption] Will Tiger Woods end his five-year winless streak in the Majors? He has been stranded on 14 majors since 2008. He is 36 years old. A new generation of golfers, led by Rory McIlroy, is out there who have no experience of Woods dominating at Majors and are hungry for trophies of their own. If Woods wants to catch and pass Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 Majors, he can’t afford to let his 0-20 streak continue much longer. His form has mostly been great this year – four wins in eight events on the PGA Tour but he struggled uncharacteristically at Memorial the last time he played, posting his worst ever score for 9 holes (44) in the second round. While the ability to dominate is still there, age and injuries means Woods is less able to call on it as often as before. It makes him a much more interesting golfer because now he has to conquer himself as well as the field. How will Merion Golf Club cope in the modern era? The United States Golf Association expects to lose money over the course of the week because of the limited space for spectators but the choice of venue is a hat-tip to its rich past. Merion has hosted more USGA events than any other course in the USA. It was here that the legendary Bobby Jones completed Golf’s only Grand Slam in 1930. It was here in 1950 that Ben Hogan hit one of the game’s greatest shots and the photo of him in his follow-through after hitting that 1-iron to the 72nd hole remains one of the game’s most iconic. It was here in 1971, that Lee Trevino threw a (fake) snake at Jack Nicklaus on the 1st tee ahead of their playoff for the title that Trevino would win. Merion is also an odd choice because it is a short course by modern standards at around 7,000 yards and there are questions about how it will hold up against the modern power game. Heavy rain has softened its defenses as well, so players will be able to fire at the flags. Hit in the ball in the rough though, and the course will still extract its pound of flesh. Can Rory McIlroy find his game? McIlroy seemed to have put his problems behind him when he romped to the US PGA title, his second Major victory, at the end of last season and ascended to the no 1 spot. But he has struggled since switching to Nike clubs earlier this year and even resorted to playing extra tournaments to find some form. The USGA has given golf fans a treat by pairing McIlroy with Woods for the first two rounds. Watching the master and his heir apparent, and the top two players in the world, go head-to-head with a Major championship trophy on the line is about as exciting as it gets. Watching them when they both have personal demons and doubts to overcome simply adds another layer to an already good story. Is Adam Scott finally delivering on his potential? Before McIlroy, it was Scott who was supposed to challenge Woods. A superb ball striker, when Scott won the Players Championship at the age of 24 back in 2004, he on the verge of breaking through to the top tier. But he struggled in the Majors, failing to post a top-ten finish in any of them for years. He adopted a new approach in 2011, playing fewer tournaments and trying to peak at the Majors. Since then Scott has had five top-10s in majors, including a win at the 2013 Masters that might just have set him free. Following that win, Australian golf legend Greg Norman said Scott, now 32, should win more majors than any other Australian in history. Peter Thompson currently holds that record, having won five British Opens. Scott is in the same group as Woods and McIlroy, and is the no 3 ranked player in the world. It his chance to prove he is more than a third wheel, as he described himself earlier this year. Oh, and winning would also make him just the fourth player since 1960 to win the Masters and the US Open in the same year. Will the field provide another surprise winner? In recent times, the US Open has provided more than its fair share of surprise winners. There was New Zealand’s Michael Campbell in 2005, Argentina’s Angel Cabrera in 2007, the US’ Lucas Glover in 2009 and Ireland’s Graeme McDowell in 2010. Webb Simpson, the defending champion, was another surprise at the Olympic Club last year. He has not won since and failed to make the cut at the Masters in April While all the attention is on Woods and those just below him in the rankings, and the soft conditions at Merion evening the playing field, the US Open could throw up another surprise. Matt Kuchar, with a couple of wins this year, including at Memorial two weeks ago, could be in line to win a big one (ranked fourth in the world, Kuchar wouldn’t be the most unlikely winner). Or could Phil Mickelson, who has a record five runner-up finishes in the US Open, finally win the one tournament he covets above all else in the twilight of his career? Or will it someone unlikelier still, from a faraway land, like Cabrera or Campbell? The best way to find out is to tune in and watch.