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Tournament at a Glance
Posted: Wednesday June 14, 2000 09:34 PM
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The U.S. Open will be the most painful reminder yet of the plane crash that killed Payne Stewart and five others Oct. 25. AP |
By Ryan Hunt, CNNSI.com
Storylines we're following at the U.S. Open:
The 100th U.S. Open will be a celebration in more ways than one. While
it may be the centennial event of the America's golf championship, it will
also pay tribute to a fallen champion. After the untimely death of Payne
Stewart last October, the defending champ will not be at the Open for the
first time in 51 years.
Tiger Woods is the overwhelming favorite to win his first Open. If he
plays anything like he did in his last trip to Pebble Beach, he'll have his
third major title. Woods overcame a seven-stroke deficit with a final-round
64 to win the AT&T Pebble Beach in February. In U.S. Open play, however,
Woods has been far from automatic -- 13 of his 17 career rounds have been
above par.
Jack Nicklaus will play in his 44th consecutive Open. It will also likely be
his last. Nicklaus, who hasn't had a top-10 finish since 1986, is in the
final year of a three-year special exemption granted by the USGA. Fittingly,
his Open swan song comes at the course he considers his favorite.
Best player never to win a major? Take your pick. David Duval, Phil
Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Colin Montgomerie are among those still trying for
their first.
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FEATURED COLUMN
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THE EXPERTS' PICKS
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Golf fans everywhere dream of getting a chance to play the hallowed grounds
of Pebble Beach. In his latest edition of On Tour, Sports Illustrated's Alan
Shipnuck explains why Pebble has a special place in his heart.
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Will the 2000 U.S. Open be a day at the Beach for Tiger Woods? Or will the
Open have yet another surprise champion? Find out what our experts think as
they make their Pebble Beach predictions.
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ON FIRE
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ON ICE
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Justin Leonard appears to be regaining his game at the right time.
Surprisingly, it has been two years since Leonard's last tournament
victory. And for a better part of 2000, Leonard wasn't even close to breaking
the drought, going without a top-10 finish in his first 12 PGA events. But
after back-to-back second-place finishes, Leonard -- who turns 28 on Thursday
-- may make a run at his second major title.
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Mark O'Meara's 1998 career renaissance seems a distant memory. Not much has
gone right for the 43-year-old O'Meara since his dual major wins two years
ago. In reality, 2000 has been a downright struggle. In his past five
tournaments, O'Meara has missed the cut twice and has had finishes of 25th,
41st and 51st. And O'Meara has never played well at the Open, missing the cut in 10 of his 18 career appearances.
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WHERE THE ACTION'S AT
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THE LIST
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This isn't a case of Tiger-proofing. In each of three previous U.S. Opens at
Pebble Beach, the par-5 second hole has been by far the easiest, as the 27
eagles and 437 birdies can attest. This year, though, those birdies will only
be pars. The USGA downgraded the 484-yard second hole to a par-4, which
should provide an interesting -- and certainly more challenging -- start
before the players hit the picturesque ocean holes.
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With an Open victory, Vijay Singh can become the fifth golfer to have won the
first two major championships in a year:
1949 -- Sam Snead (Masters, PGA Championship)
1951 -- Ben Hogan (Masters, U.S. Open)
1953 -- Ben Hogan (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open)
1960 -- Arnold Palmer (Masters, U.S. Open)
1972 -- Jack Nicklaus (Masters, U.S. Open)
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STATITUDES OF THE WEEK
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282
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Lowest four-round total ever to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Tom
Watson shot rounds of 72, 72, 68 and 70 to win the '82 Open at 6-under par.
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THEY SAID IT
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"I've always said that if I had one round of golf to play, I'd like to go to
Pebble Beach." -- Jack Nicklaus, who won one of his four U.S. Open titles at
Pebble in 1982.
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Copyright © 2001
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