The iconic Pebble Beach course on California's Monterey Peninsula will host the 110th US Open from 17-20 June
The venue south of San Francisco, opened in 1919, has hosted four previous US Opens, won by Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tom Watson (1982), Tom Kite (1992) and Tiger Woods (2000)
Ten years ago, the 24-year-old Woods came to Pebble Beach as the hottest property in golf - the world number one with two majors in the bag (1997 Masters & 1999 USPGA) and a new brand of exciting, aggressive golf
Before the tournament, some of the world's top players staged a 21-driver salute in honour of the late Payne Stewart, the defending US Open champion, who died in a plane crash the previous October
Ernie Els, already a two-time US Open champion, finished second with Miguel Angel Jimenez, with Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington fifth and Nick Faldo seventh. Els will partner Woods and Westwood this year
But Woods won by an astonishing 15 shots - the biggest margin in major history - in what was the first leg of the "Tiger Slam", a phrase coined for holding all four major titles at the same time, though not in the same year
The same year Nicklaus, the 18-time major champion, chose Pebble Beach to bow out of the US Open after winning the title four times
Back in 1992, Colin Montgomerie was the clubhouse leader at Pebble Beach and being congratulated by Nicklaus on his first US Open win before Tom Kite snatched victory. Monty would finish second three times in US Opens
World number three Westwood goes back to Pebble Beach with perhaps Britain's best chance of a first US Open title since Tony Jacklin in 1970 after his win in Sunday's St Jude Classic - his first win in the US in 12 years
Westwood, 37, is still chasing a maiden major title after top-three finishes in the last three majors, but no-one has ever clinched the US Open the week after winning on the PGA Tour
British golf is in rude health with England's Westwood, Luke Donald (6th), Ian Poulter (8th) and Paul Casey (9th) in the world's top 10 and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy 10th. Justin Rose, though not at Pebble Beach, has also won in the US this year
Phil Mickelson clinched his third Masters title in April but has never won the US Open despite five runners-up spots, including at Bethpage last year. Mickelson would be a hugely popular winner in his native California
Mickelson can grab Woods's world number one spot if he wins at Pebble Beach; or if he is second and Woods is fifth; if he is third and Woods is outside the top 18; if Woods misses the cut and he is in two-way tie for third
American Lucas Glover was the surprise US Open winner from Mickelson, Ricky Barnes and David Duval 12 months ago, with England's Ross Fisher fifth on his own after heading the greens in regulation statistics
Woods is still world number one (only Vijay Singh has stolen his crown since 1999) with 14 major titles and history at "Pebble", though knee reconstruction and a scandal in his private life have somewhat dimmed his star
But Woods has impressed his peers in practice at a chilly Pebble Beach this week and despite patchy form and a recent neck injury remains joint favourite with Mickelson to lift a fourth US Open after wins in 2000, 2002, 2008
Pebble Beach has been stretched by 194 yards since 2000, with a host of new greens and bunkers. Tight fairways and thick rough make it different even from when Dustin Johnson won a second AT&T title in February
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