Phil Mickelson has added his voice to the growing number of players worried about the lay-out at Pinehurst ahead of the US Open, which starts on Thursday. Mickelson said the weather could make Pinehurst as hard as the controversial Shinnecock Hills was last year.
"Without rain we have potential for 18 holes that could be like number seven at Shinnecock - very conceivable."
The seventh hole at Shinnecock got so fast on Sunday that US Open officials had to water the green between groups.
The late Payne Stewart was the winner the last time the US Open visited Pinehurst in 1999 and his score was one under.
Speaking after a practice round on Wednesday, world number two Vijay Singh said unless there was rain he did not see anybody breaking par this time.
 |  I don't think they are going to lose the course like last year but if they don't watch it, it will get over the edge in a heartbeat |
The Fijian has already told Tom Meeks, the USGA's senior director of rules and competition, that he had better find a place to hide if the course gets away again like last year. "If you are not careful you can make bogey on every hole with good shots," said Singh.
Joint third with Tiger Woods behind Stewart and Mickelson six years ago he added: "I don't remember it being this tough. This is the hardest course I've played and it's going to be one hell of a test.
"I had a few words with Tom Meeks. If it does not rain you can't stop the ball on the greens.
"I don't think they are going to lose the course like last year when they made a mistake and it was impossible, but if they don't watch it, it will get over the edge in a heartbeat."
At 7,214 yards the course matches Bethpage in 2002 as the longest ever used for the event. Frighteningly, it is also a par 70.
The comments from Mickelson and Singh come only a day after Ernie Els, a high-profile victim of Shinnecock's set-up, said he hoped the event's organisers had learned the lessons of 12 months ago.
| You don't have to make Pinehurst rock hard - they didn't have to do that at Shinnecock |
The two-time US Open champion said: "If they make it firm and fast, it's going to be a joke again." The 35-year-old South African was second going to into the final round a year ago but blew his chances with an 80 on a day that saw 26 other players in the 66-strong field fail to beat his score.
Playing partner and countryman Retief Goosen went on to take the title for the second time in four years with a final-round 71.
Speaking after a practice round on Monday, Els said: "I just hope they take Pinehurst for what it is. The greens are designed in a certain way where the ball is just going to run off.
"You don't have to make Pinehurst rock hard. They didn't have to do that at Shinnecock.
"Shinnecock wasn't very long, so I think they felt like going to different methods of really testing us. Unfortunately, it backfired on them."
MMIX
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Hard but fair?