A tough course

Ironically, the US Open, the year's second Major and one of the most coveted championships in the professional golf world, started out as a sideshow. Now more than hundred years later, it is considered as the toughest Major with the best in the game vying for the top title. This year's edition at Shinnecock Hills Club will start from June 17.

Back in October, 1894, the first US Open Championship got underway on the nine-hole course of Newport Golf and Country Club. The first US Amateur was simultaneously played on the same course and during the same week.

The two championships, however, paled in comparison to a more established sport traditions of the time "" the America's Cup Yacht races. The two golf events had to be postponed because the dates clashed with the yacht races.

However, the US events had a humble beginning with 10 professionals and one amateur competing in the first 36-hole competition. The winner was a 21-year-old English pro, Horace Rawlins, who was an assistant at the host course. His win fetched him $150 of the total first prize money of $335.

Immigrant British pros in the US continued to dominate the event in the early years and the US Open became popular only when the Americans started playing well; John J McDermott became the first native-born American champion in 1911.

The performance of a 20-year-old American amateur, Francis Ouimet, who stunned the world by defeating the famous British professionals, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, in a playoff in 1913, may well have been a turning point for golf's popularity in the US. And it gained in further measure with the success of amateur Bobby Jones, who won the US Open four times between 1923 and 1930.

Spectator had to buy tickets for the first time in 1922 and a surge in number of entries forced the USGA to introduce sectional qualifying system in 1924. Today, the system requires an elaborate network of local qualifiers, which is followed by the sectional qualifiers, making the US Open the most difficult event to break ground. Even six-time Major winner like Nick Faldo had to go through the process this year because he did not get an exemption.

The focus, however, steadily shifted to top pros in the subsequent years.

The first big star after Bobby Jones was Ben Hogan, who in a span of five years between 1948 and 1953 won four times to get a permanent place in the record books. Since then, there have been others like Arnold Palmer whose comeback win in 1960 is the stuff legends are made of. He played a final round of 65 to come from seven strokes off the lead.

Two years later in 1962, Jack Nicklaus won the first of his four US Open Championships in his rookie season as a professional. He added three more US Open titles in 1967, 1972 and 1980 to become one of the only four golfers to capture four US Opens. The others were Willie Anderson, Jones and Hogan. More recent stars have been Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, both two-times winners.

As the years rolled by, the US Open grew in strength and status. In 1954, the US Open course got a national television coverage for the first time. Today, TV coverage of the US Open, handled by the NBC channel, costs millions of dollars in terms of rights.

The US Open was made a 72-hole event in 1898 with 36 holes played on each of two days. In 1926, it became a three-day event with 18 holes on each of two days and 36 holes on the third day. In 1965, the current format of four 18-hole daily rounds was put in place for the first time.

The 2002 edition made US Open truly a people's tournament as the Bethpage State Park's Black Course in New York became the first public owned facility to host a US Open.

This year's host "" Shinnecock "" got its name because it was built on a land that once belonged to the Shinnecock Indians. Members of the ethnic community had also assisted in setting up the course.

The Shinnecock course, ranked among the top 10 US courses, has organised three Opens in the past. Its status stood out as far back as 1896 when at that year's event, competitors threatened to boycott if Willie Bunn, a Shinnecock Indian, and John Shippen, a half African-American, were permitted to compete. But USGA stood its ground and declared that the competition would go on even if Bunn and Shippen were the only participants. After this, it hosted the next two championships in 1986 and 1995.

The last two winners of US Open at Shinnecock are still active. Raymond Floyd (1986) has been given a special exemption and Corey Pavin (1995) has qualified on his own.

The course at 6996 yards may seem shorter than the average course on the tours these days, but it is a tough task. The course has a real links feel to it, winding its way through the dune-type terrain. Tall fescue rough, small greens and the strong winds on this exposed piece of land close to the Atlantic Ocean, will ensure that the winner of the 2004 US Open has been fully tested.

ACTION IN THE GREENS

The contenders

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Tiger Woods: The two-time winner has been in top 20 in each of his seven starts at the US Open; not won a Major in two years Ernie Els: Pushed Vijay Singh from the No 2 spot with a win at the Memorial and like Woods is a two-time US Open winner

Vijay Singh: Has never won the US Open and was placed third in 1999; has five top tens in ten starts at the US Open

Phil Mickelson: Finally got the monkey off his back with his first Major at the Masters this year; twice finished second at the US Open

Padraig Harrington: Now that Mickelson has won his maiden Major, Harrington would like to better that record; has three top tens in his last four starts at the US Open.

The outsiders

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Kenny Perry: Best placing third last year

Chad Campbell: Has won biggies like the Tour Championship and the Bay Hill this year.

Darren Clarke: One of the best players not to have won a Major; in good form

Sergio Garcia: a changed man, won the Byron Nelson this year; fourth in 2002

KJ Choi: Great putter and Asia's best hope showed potential at the Masters, finishing third