Concentration key as Major test of patience awaits at Olympic

When Johnny Miller closed with a record-breaking 63 to win the 1973 US Open at Oakmont, the fallout was horrific.

The USGA was unhappy at this affront to its “toughest Major” tag and the result was the 1974 Massacre at Winged Foot, where no-one broke par in the opening round and Hale Irwin won on seven over par.

“A lot of people say I’m to blame for what happened at Winged Foot,” Miller said. “And I can’t say I disagree. I don’t think they were too happy after I shot 63 at Oakmont.”

Nearly 40 years later we await the outcome of the 112th US Open at The Olympic Club certain of only one thing — Rory McIlroy will not finish on 16 under par.

The young Irishman smashed 11 US Open scoring records en route to an eight-shot victory last year. McIlroy knows his prospects over the next few days will depend on one thing — his patience.

The 23-year old has proved to have a short fuse this year, famously hurling a club during the BMW PGA at Wentworth in the middle of a streakthat saw him miss three cuts on the spin.

McIlroy confessed: “US Opens are all about patience and not letting bogeys or anything else get to you. Because you know everyone’s going to have them.

“You’ve got to concentrate over every shot here,” said McIlroy, who got to the course nearly a week ago after missing the cut in Memphis.

“Coming back even since last week and obviously the greens now are a little firmer, they’re a little faster and it makes the greens seem a little more severe.”

But as Rory prepares to take on a shortish course measuring 7,170 yards, promising to attack with his driver as often as possible, two giants of the modern game are squaring up for what could go down as one of the classic Majors. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have dominated the game for the past 15 years, winning 18 Majors between them.

Their rivalry has been one-sided for the most part with Mickelson the whipping boy until he finally made his breakthrough at the 2004 Masters.

By that stage the Major scoreboard between the two read Tiger 8, Phil 1. Over the last eight years Woods has won six Majors to Mickelson’s four, yet when they are joined by Masters champion Bubba Watson in a stellar threeball today, no-one can truly say that the left-hander won’t finally achieve his lifetime dream and take the first giant step towards a title that has tantalisingly eluded him.

With five runner-up finishes, no-one has come as close as often as Mickelson in the US Open without winning and with his nemesis alongside him, the Californian says he will doubly motivated to end his long wait in his 22nd appearance.

When asked if getting Woods was a good draw, Mickelson had no doubts.

“Fabulous,” he said. “I’ll tell you why. First of all, I get excited to play with Tiger, I love it. I think we all do. He gets the best out of me. I think when it’s time to tee off on Thursday I’ll be ready to play.

“One of the issues I’ve had this year I’ve been a little mentally lethargic on Thursday and Friday. I won’t be this week.”

“In the last five years or so I’ve been able to focus clearly when we play. I’ve been able to enjoy the challenge of playing with him and I’ve always enjoyed his company. I’ve played some of my better golf these last five years with him.”

Set to turn 42 on Saturday, Mickelson is the fifth favourite with the bookies behind Woods, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and McIlroy.

Woods likes his chances of bagging his 15th major, and his first since 2008, on an old-school set up that is fast and firm and difficult.

“I’m excited about playing,” Woods said. “Excited about this golf course.”

He was excited about the Masters too but finished 40th on the back of a win at Bay Hill. He won in his last start, claiming his fifth Memorial Tournament 10 days ago but much will depend on his ability to hole putts when it matters, which is something that’s been missing from his game in the post-hydrant years.

McIlroy’s form on firm and fast courses does not lead to optimism but there is little to suggest the other three Irishmen in the field can trouble the engravers.

Peter Lawrie fears the four to six inch rough around the greens that makes pitching a lottery. “Around the greens, it’ll be a little more difficult that I probably expected,” the Dubliner said. “There’s not too many runoffs around the greens. It’s more the case of playing tricky little pop-up shots out of that heavy grass.”

Even the last two holes — a par-five and a 344-yard par four — can jump up and bite the best. They might be birdie holes, but disaster lurks.

Pádraig Harrington’s erratic putting stroke, Graeme McDowell’s erratic form (he’s missed his last three cuts) and Lawrie’s lack of experience, offer little encouragement.”