GOLF - The U.S. Open Men's Championship

It's major time in the world of men's golf. That means it's also time for Big Daddy Jeff to again turn my attention to the sport where even fat guys with beer bellies can be champions. I'll be rooting for afore-described Phil Mickelson to win the Open. He's a likeable guy with a hot wife and cute kids who seems to carry on a fairly normal life in spite of earning millions, flying a private jet to work every other weekend, and playing freaking golf for a damned-good living. Plus, he's not named Tiger Woods. I respect Tiger's game immensely but got equally tired of him dominating the sport. Mickelson has won 2 majors in a row and has proved to be a worthy adversary to the leader of the pack.

That said, it would make for a moving moment come this Sunday to see Tiger dedicating a win to his recently deceased dad, Earl, on Father's Day of all dates. But only 7 weeks removed from his death, it's also a very heavy load to carry as Woods walks the brutal 72 holes of the tournament. No greens are tougher to navigate than those of a US Open. Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, NY will feauture typically killer rough if your tee shot is not accurate. Woods hasn't played competitive golf since he finished third to Mickelson in the Masters back in April. Will his 300+ yard tee shots avoid that rough and find the greens? Or will the emotional load on his shoulders keep driving his shots wide and his score down the leaderboard?

My pick: Vijay Singh. Vij is coming off a win at nearby Westchester CC last weekend and is always in the mix at majors. His patience will be rewarded in a tournament that tends to punish aggressive play.

So that's what I'll be watching today - will Tiger begin the march to another US Open championship or can Phil make it 3 in a row? Coverage starts at 10:00am on ESPN.



Who will you be watching? Phil and Tiger? Or Amy Mickelson and Elin Woods?