Can Tiger Make It Twice As Nice At Bethpage In The US Open Or Will A New Name Appear On The Trophy?

The 2009 US Open Golf Championship takes place on the Black Course at the Bethpage State Park, Long Island, New York, which in 2002 became the first public golf course to host a golfing major in the USA when it hosted the US Open.

The course proved very difficult too with only Tiger Woods managing to finish under par, he won the tournament that year by three shots from his greatest rival, Phil Mickelson. It was his second victory in the US Open at the time, but it was his last until he won last year in remarkable style, following a play off with compatriot, Rocco Mediate, at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in California.

His victory was remarkable as he played five rounds of golf on virtually one leg, seeing off Mediate after a close run play off round. Follow that success, Woods immediately withdrew from the rest of the 2008 tour and underwent knee surgery, which happily he has fully recovered from and is now back playing full time on the tour.

Woods of course will be favourite in the US Open Golf betting to win again this year and as usual there is little reason to doubt that he can pull it off and win his 15th golf major, especially on a course on which he has proven winning form.

Players of the stature of Mickelson and Spain's, Sergio Garcia, will no doubt be a threat to Woods and both acquitted themselves well when it was played at Bethpage in 2002. Mickelson was second to Woods on level par, while Garcia finished in a tie for fourth place, 4 over par. Woods, Mickelson and Garcia are the top three ranked players in the world currently and it could be that they will have to battle out the 2009 US Open between them.

The early antepost betting has Woods as the favourite, with Mickelson and Garcia behind him. Three time major winner, Padraig Harrington and former US Open champion, Geoff Ogilvy are also liekly to feature prominently and pose big threats to all comers.

Argentine Angel Cabrera, who won the US Masters at Augusta back in April this year, also won the US Open in 2007 and on that form he is surely a huge threat to win a third major.

Over recent years the US Open has had the tendency to throw up a host of unexpected and often first time major winners. It seems that if Woods isn't winning then a new name appears on the trophy. Other than Woods, only South African, Reteif Goosen, has won it more than once. The following is the list of the last ten winners and with five first time winners appearing on the list, it could be worth spending time studying the form of the players who haven't yet won the US Open.

2008 - Woods
2007 - Cabrera - 1st time winner
2006 - Ogilvy - 1st time winner
2005 - Michael Campbell - 1st time winner
2004 - Reteif Goosen
2003 - Jim Furyk - 1st time winner
2002 - Wood
2001 - Reteif Goosen - 1st time winner
2000 - Woods
1999 - Payne Stewart
The 2009 US Open Golf Championship takes place between 15-21 June

Read previews and and news for the 2009 US Open,includes player profiles, course information, US Open Golf Odds, tournament history and more.