2010 US Open - Prelude

It's 2010 National Championship eve as the US Open returns to Pebble Beach after a 10 year hiatus. The last version saw Tiger Woods win by a record 15 strokes while decimating the field. It's not exactly the same Woods you'll see this week. Traditionally unpredictable Monterrey Peninsula weather is expected to be rather mundane with abundant sunshine and low winds. Still, Pebble can tax golfers without prodigious length. Postage stamp greens, moved fairways, and umpteen more possible tee placements than in 2000 will allow the old girl to escape the embarrassment of a -20 winning score.

We'll preview the combatants and their chances in tomorrow's post regarding odds and picks. Geoff Shackelford's Twitter feed sheds some light on the $6.00 hot dogs and bargain basement $34.00 golf caps here. Definitely worth a look. As per usual we'll examine the betting scene via Ladbrokes and try to decipher the pretenders from the contenders. Will it be an old Pebble ace like Mickelson or Furyk or a young budding star like McIlroy or Rocco Mediate who just gained last minute inclusion as the 1st alternate? Waiting's half the fun.

Stick with Average Golfer for week long coverage and irreverent commentary.  With the strength of field and venues the US version of an Open Championship is generally considered the truest test to identify the year's best golfer. St. Andrew's being the Open Championship site this year may mitigate that claim somewhat, but I think Pebble Beach compares favorably in every category except age. Watch and catch a little piece of history.





Til' next,