• US Open

Harmon: Woods the man to beat

ESPN staff
June 12, 2012
Tiger Woods will be the main man in San Francisco for the US Open this week says his former coach Butch Harmon © PA Photos
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Tiger Woods' ex-coach Butch Harmon believes the former world No. 1 is going to be the man to beat at this week's US Open.

Harmon, who worked with Woods from 1993 to 2004, spoke off the back of the American's victory at the Memorial Tournament where he witnessed what he thinks was the finest display from Woods in quite some time.

"I think that was the best golf we have seen from Tiger in four to five years, going back to the run-in to his last US Open win in 2008," Harmon said.

"He seemed to have complete control of his golf ball, and it has been quite a while since we have seen him produce such a display of pure ball-striking like that.

"He also putted much better than he has of late, and if he plays the same way this week then he will be back as the man to beat."

Despite the San Francisco Olympic Club's tight fairways and thick rough, Harmon does not think Woods' driving will prove too much of a problem.

"I think you will find most players will probably hit a driver only four times during a round," he explained. "I went out with Phil Mickelson last week and he hit the driver only once.

"I expect Tiger to adopt similar tactics and that will be no bad thing because we've seen that the driver is the club that can hurt him most.

"His course management is second to none and his game seems to have turned around at just the right time.

"But the great ball-strikers will come into their own and I expect Phil, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose to have big weeks."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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