Stage set for 102nd US Open

The stage has been set for the world's best players to take on the longest golf course in U.S. Open history when the second major championship of the year gets underway with Thursday's first round.

Record crowds of 42,500 are expected on each of the four days at Bethpage State Park's Black Course and most of the spectators will be focusing on Tiger Woods as he attempts to win his second U.S. Open crown.

The firmly-established world number one clinched the 2000 title in record-breaking fashion at Pebble Beach when he blew away the rest of the field by a staggering 15 strokes.

He strung together rounds of 65, 69, 71 and 67 for a record-equalling tournament aggregate of 272 and his margin of victory eclipsed the previous championship mark of 11 shots set by Willie Smith in 1899.

Although Woods could only manage a tie for 12th at Southern Hills in last year's U.S. Open, won in a playoff by South Africa's Retief Goosen, he was clearly back to his very best form at Augusta this April.

The 26-year-old American clinched his third U.S. Masters, the opening major of the year, by three strokes with a 12-under-par 276 total and was never seriously challenged down the stretch as he closed with a 71.

Victory at Augusta secured Woods the seventh major title of his career and this week he will be bidding to become the first player since Jack Nicklaus, in 1972, to win the first two majors of the year.

GRAND SLAM

He also remains on course for a possible grand slam of the four major titles in a calendar year, something no professional has ever achieved, but has refused to get caught up in media speculation about that possibility.

"I guess they're trying to sell tickets, to be honest," he said after his third practice round at the par-70 Black Course. "The only thing I can do is go out there and play and give it my best.

"Whether that puts higher expectations, I don't know. For my own expectation level, I come to every tournament to try to win and that's what I'm going to try to do this week."

While much of the talk this week has focused on the rigours of the golf course with its narrow fairways, thick rough and fast greens, most of the players will be keeping a close eye on how Woods shapes up at Bethpage.

"It doesn't matter what tournament you play in," said defending champion Goosen. "If Tiger is teeing it up, he's going to be the guy to beat."

"He's the bar where we try to rise to, and he sets the standards for us, for sure," said Chris DiMarco, who will be playing with Woods and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke in the opening two rounds.

"I get to see it for the first two days, too. So that will be fun."

"It is a very difficult challenge to compete against him because he is able to do things with the golf ball that not many can even envisage," said world number two Phil Mickelson, widely regarded as the best current player not to have won a major.

"I think the thing about Tiger is that he's the only leader (with whom) you don't have the hope that he'll falter.

GOOD CHANCE

"When other guys are up there, if you can just stay around there, there's a good chance they might come back two or three shots. But Tiger doesn't ever seem to do that.

"A lot of people see that (competing with Tiger) as a difficulty but it's also a wonderful challenge to be able to play against potentially the greatest player of all time."

While Woods will be the undoubted favorite for this week's title, there are several likely challengers in the 156-strong field.

Twice winner Ernie Els has a proven U.S. Open track record, as does his fellow South African Goosen, who finished second behind Woods at this year's Masters.

Twice Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, although he has not finished in the top 10 at a U.S. Open since 1991, is a very different proposition now that he seems to have corrected his perennial waywardness off the tee.

Others who are quite capable of challenging strongly include 1999 U.S. PGA champion Vijay Singh, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Mickelson, Jim Furyk, current U.S. PGA champion David Toms, the in-form Bob Estes and Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, if his problem back behaves itself for all four rounds.