Woods' '16 Major Wins' vs Mickelson's 'Career Slam'... What About 'Number 1' Johnson?

120th US Open Opens Night of 17th, World No.1 Johnson 'Top Favorite', Rahm, Thomas, McIlroy Compete for Victory

Tiger Woods challenges for his 16th major win and 83rd career victory at the 120th US Open.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] Woods' '16 Major Wins' vs Mickelson's 'Career Slam.'

The biggest point of interest in the 120th US Open (total prize money $12.5 million), held on the night of the 17th (Korean time) at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York (par 70, 7,477 yards), is this showdown. Tiger Woods is pursuing the 'two rabbits' of 16 major wins and the most PGA Tour victories (83 wins), while Phil Mickelson is aiming to become the sixth 'Career Grand Slam' winner in global golf history. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson (all from the USA) is a player to watch.

▲ Woods: "I have enough competitiveness in majors" = The US Open, originally scheduled for June, was postponed by three months due to the impact of COVID-19. Woods won the Masters in April last year to reach 15 major wins, and in October, his victory at the Zozo Championship tied him with Sam Snead (USA) at 82 career wins. This time, he has a golden opportunity to close the gap to Jack Nicklaus' (USA) record of 18 major wins by two and simultaneously set a new PGA Tour record with 83 wins.

The issue is his physical condition. Woods felt back pain during the Genesis Invitational in February, causing him to skip several major events in March such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship. Subsequently, he finished outside the top 30 in four tournaments: the Memorial Tournament, PGA Championship, The Northern Trust, and BMW Championship. Woods has been thoroughly preparing by repeatedly visiting Winged Foot for course reconnaissance. He expressed confidence, saying, "There will be opportunities."

Phil Mickelson's US Open victory is the final puzzle piece toward his career Grand Slam.

▲ Mickelson: "The elusive US Open" = Mickelson collected three different major trophies over nine years: the Masters in 2004, the PGA Championship in 2005, and The Open Championship in 2013. Interestingly, he finished runner-up six times at the US Open?in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. Winged Foot is especially memorable as the place where he lost a one-stroke lead on the final day in 2006 after a double bogey on the last 18th hole (par 4), costing him the victory.

His chance for a 'major three-peat' following the 2005 PGA Championship and 2006 Masters was also dashed. Mickelson has taken a last stand by learning long-drive secrets from Kyle Berkshire, the world long-drive champion. Considering his age of 50, time is running out. He showed form comparable to his prime by winning wire-to-wire in his Champions (Senior) Tour debut on the 27th of last month, raising expectations.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is aiming for his 120th US Open victory.

▲ Johnson: "I am the new golf emperor"… What about the Korean contingent? = Naturally, Johnson is the 'No. 1 favorite to win.' He has three wins this season and clinched the final playoff championship, hitting the '15 million dollar (1.78 billion KRW) jackpot.' Notably, he shot 11 under par on the second day of the first playoff event, The Northern Trust, securing an 11-stroke victory. Oddsmakers have named Jon Rahm (Spain), Justin Thomas (USA), and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) as the 'Big 4.'

Defending champion Gary Woodland dreams of defending his title, and PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa is aiming for 'back-to-back major wins.' 'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) remains a dark horse. Utilizing the 'COVID-19 break' to bulk up, his power is formidable, leading the tour in driving distance (average 322.1 yards). Korea has sent its contenders: Im Sung-jae (22), An Byeong-hun (29), Kang Sung-hoon (33), and Kim Si-woo (25, all from CJ Logistics).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.