Zach Johnson: no one-major wonder, he won the AT & T tournament in Georgia last month to go with his success at The Masters in April. Straight but not necessarily long driving, good putting and a cool head are what is needed here and Johnson has them all.

Luke Donald: sooner or later Donald is going to win an event that requires straight driving, accurate iron play and good putting and outstanding course management. Donald has all these characteristics. Unsure whether he has the ability to overpower this course, however, but he might sneak up on it by surprise.

Steve Stricker: a man who is a wonderful putter and good around the greens has a head start on a course where the greens are very fast and undulating. Furthermore, lesser known players do sometimes win this event, witness Steve Jones in 1996.

Tiger Woods: no one in the field matches Woods in mental strength and this more than any other is an event that tests a player's mental strength. If Woods drives accurately - and it's a big if - he could record his third victory in the US Open this decade and mark the immient birth of his first child.

Phil Mickelson: an inflamed left wrist has limited his preparation. Not even a $150,000 gadget developed by Dave Pelz, his short game coach, to work out the speed of each green can help Mickelson overcome his injury and remove memories of his astonishing collapse on the last hole in this event last year.