Fuente: © Southern Africa Tour
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SOUTHERN AFRICA TOUR: From The Rough

/noticias.info/ Goose tells us he's not suffering from a US Open hangover ……We look at the odds from the bookies for the local challengers at the US Open …And we play a little trivial pursuit – some US Open facts to impress your friends with.

NO US OPEN HANGOVER FOR GOOSEN
World number three Retief Goosen has vowed to turn his final round collapse at last year's US Open to his advantage.

"There's no hangover," Goosen said of his 81 at Pinehurst number two course which turned a three-shot lead after three rounds into a share of 11th place behind winner Michael Campbell.

"Hopefully it is a good learning experience and, hopefully, I'll be in the same situation next month and perform better."

The 37-year-old South African said he had worked out what had gone wrong, as he had attempted to add to his wins in the 2001 and 2004 Opens.

"I just didn't play those first few holes aggressive enough. I kept leaving myself very long putts. Then it's hard around a tough course like that, once it goes the wrong way, to recover. It's not a course that you come back with five birdies quickly.

"Once you've made five bogeys on the front nine, even if you play well from there, you're going to finish five-over. Maybe you can learn something on the concentration side; you weren't quite focused enough.

"Obviously playing the last five holes I knew I couldn't win. My concentration went; everything went. I wasn't thinking of fourth, third or whatever. Once I knew I couldn't win anymore, I didn't care where I was going to finish."

This year's US Open is from June 15 to 18 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.

THE ODDS ON THE LOCAL CHALLENGE AT THIS WEEK'S US OPEN
Given the unique challenge of the year's second Major, it's no surprise that the same players excel. And that's why the US Open throws up so many repeat winners - Goosen (2004, 2001), Woods (2002, 2000), Stewart (1999, 1991), Janzen (1998, 1993) and Els (1997, 1994) the most recent examples.

After rain last week, the course is now drying rapidly and it means we should get a true US Open test.

Dry, fast conditions tend to suit South Africans more than Europeans - the former grow up playing such courses - and maybe that's why Ernie Els and Retief Goosen have won four of the last 12 US Opens between them while no European has triumphed since Gary Player in 1965.

Punters have Els and Goosen both going in at 20/1. Tempting. Enough said.

However, there's more to SA golf than the big guns. There is another pair of Springboks who warrant your cash. Tim Clark and Trevor Immelman.

Clark, a two-time winner of the South African Open, is 16th in driving accuracy this year and a significantly strong performer in the Majors. In 2003 he tied for 13th in the US Masters and third in the USPGA, while in the last two US Opens he's finished tied 13th and third. And, not surprising, he finished runner-up in this year's US Masters.

Clark is ticking over nicely and, at 6/1 odds, The Penguin could make you a lot of money.

Immelman is definitely the form horse after a run on the PGA Tour of 2-2-7-13. He played well in the Majors last year (fifth in the US Masters and top 20 in both the Open and USPGA). Fifth in the all-around ranking on the PGA Tour, Immelman is really starting to blossom now.

His recent performances have done enough to convince and it may be a case of catching him at 6/1 while we can.

His had a tremendous start to his 2006 season, but 35/1 odds almost seems a little wishful thinking for Rory Sabbatini. His Major stats reads like a tragedy, but who knows, perhaps Sabbo will be the outsider, the long shot to round out the trifecta.

What about the rest?
• Phil Mickelson (5-2): Always plays well in the Big Apple. • Tiger Woods (3-1): Only he really knows for sure. • Jim Furyk (8-1): If his back's OK; finished sixth here in 1997 PGA. • Vijay Singh (10-1): Putter ain't what it used to be. • Davis Love III (15-1): Won his only major here 9 years ago. • Stuart Appleby (18-1): About the only thing he hasn't done is win a major. • Chad Campbell (20-1): Was in the hunt at the Masters. • David Toms (22-1): When he's on, is usually a factor. • Justin Leonard (25-1): Almost won 1997 PGA here. • Adam Scott (28-1): Has to start playing well in majors sometime. • Sergio Garcia (30-1): Has to start winning majors sometime. • Michelle Wie (100-1): Oops, wrong major.

IMPRESSIVE FACTS
Twenty-three international players have won the U.S. Open on 29 different occasions. Michael Campbell was the first non-South African international player to win this major since Australia's David Graham in 1981 at Merion.

Last year was the second straight U.S. Open in which the winner had double-digit one-putts in the closing round. Michael Campbell one-putted 10 times on Sunday. In 2004 at Shinnecock Hills, Retief Goosen did it 12 times.

The 81 by Goosen was the highest closing round by a third-round leader since Gil Morgan posted the same score at Pebble Beach in 1992, when he led a stroke through 54 holes. It was Goosen's second-highest round in any major. He had carded an 82 in the second round of the U.S. Open in 1999, also at Pinehurst.

When Davis Love III won the 1997 PGA at Winged Foot, he shot 66-66-71-66. But his top 10 finish in last year's U.S. Open was only his fourth in 17 starts, and his first since 2001. His closest call was in 1996, when he tied for second at Oakland Hills after three-putting the 72nd hole.

In that '97 PGA, Tiger Woods - 5 months after his record-setting win at the Masters - shot 70-70-71-75.

WHO WAS THE LAST ONE TO….
Birdie the 72nd hole to win by one: Bobby Jones, 1926
Win without a round in the 60s: Tom Kite, 1992
Birdie the 72nd hole: Lee Janzen, 1993
Birdie the 72nd hole to force a playoff: Hale Irwin, 1990
Win with all rounds in the 60s: Lee Janzen, 1993
Win with a round of 75: Payne Stewart, in playoff, 1991
Win with a round of 76: Johnny Miller, in third round, 1973
Winner over age 40: Payne Stewart, who was 42 in 1999 (sixth oldest in history)
Win after being in local and sectional qualifying: Orville Moody, 1969
Win on his second try: Jerry Pate, who tied for 18th in 1975 and won the next year notas_de_prensa_archivo