Mickelson runner-up in 1999
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While Mickelson, Singh and Woods are hard to split as the bookies' favourites, double US Open winners Ernie Els and Retief Goosen have a special affinity with the event and have the proven credentials to dig deep and grind out the pars the tournament traditionally demands.
The USGA were criticised last year for their obsession with tricking up their Open courses so that par is sacrosanct and making Shinnecock Hills almost unplayable. But the organisation, which still insists on an 18-hole Monday play-off in the event of a tie after four gruelling days, are unlikely to be fazed by media pressure.
Expect this Pinehurst No.2 - one of eight in the complex - to have firm greens and bouncy fairways, with rough as penal as ever.
Straight drivers, imaginative pitchers and putters with an uncanny ability to hole the unexpected par-savers, will dominate.
And that could mean a first European major winner since Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie - the same year as Stewart's fateful triumph.
Despite his win at Congressional yesterday, I doubt if Sergio Garcia has the temperament to grind out the pars needed to win at Pinehurst. But fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez might just have the game this week. Paired in the first two rounds with John Daly and Shingo Katayama he plays well when the going gets tough and rarely wastes a putt.
Of the Britons, I expect Luke Donald (paired with Woods and Chris DiMarco) - straight driver, cool under pressure- and a rejuvenated Lee Westwood (Kenny Perry and Craig Parry) to lead the home charge.
For an outside bet look for Aussie Peter Lonard - accurate off the tee and with a new found touch with the short-shafted putter - to make a showing together with Scott Verplank and Chad Campbell.
Here are the first and second round groupings.
