OLYMPIA FIELDS, Illinois, 11 June 2003 — Tiger Woods is bidding this week for his third US Open crown in four years and the defending champion will tee off as the clear favorite in tomorrow’s first round at Olympia Fields Country Club.
Although the 27-year-old American has not won a major since he clinched last year’s tournament by three shots at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course, both he and his swing coach Butch Harmon are convinced his game is right where it needs to be.
“I’m pleased with the way I have been practicing, hitting the ball on the range and playing on the golf course,” said the world number one, who has had to reduce his tournament schedule this season.
Harmon is even more upbeat and believes Woods is very close to his ball-striking form of 2000, when he won the last three majors of the year in record-breaking style.
“I’m not sure anyone will dominate the game the way Tiger did in 2000, but I do expect him to win (this week),” said the American swing guru.
Woods blew away the field by a staggering 15 strokes to win his first US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000 and then coasted to victory in the British Open the following month with a 19-under-par total of 269, a tournament and major championship record with regard to par. Three years on, Woods does not enjoy the same level of dominance over his rivals but, remarkably, he will be chasing his ninth career major title this week, and his fourth win of 2003 in nine starts.
He has played several practice rounds over the par-70 North Course layout in recent weeks, and is expecting the layout to provide “a heck of a test”.
Six-times major winner Nick Faldo, who has secured top-10 placings at two of the last three US Opens, described Olympia Fields as a course that would reward accuracy.
In keeping with US Open tradition, title-holder Woods will be playing the first two rounds with the British Open champion, Ernie Els, and the US amateur champion, Ricky Barnes.
