Wednesday, June 14 2006 15:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mamaroneck (New York): Phil Mickelson can stretch his run of major successes to a remarkable three in a row at the US Open this week, if he can tame the imposing Winged Foot West, not to mention Tiger Woods.

The American, who will celebrate his 36th birthday on Friday, put himself in elite company with his victory at the Masters in April, which followed up his PGA Championship triumph last August.

Only three others in the past 30 years have captured back-to-back majors - Tom Watson (1982), Nick Price (1994) and Woods (2000).

Of those, only Woods managed to take it further, winning the 2000 PGA Championship and 2001 Masters to complete his 'Tiger Slam'.

Emulating Woods's feat is something Mickelson so far declines to discuss. The secret of his confidence, he said Tuesday, is to take it one title at a time.

"I'm just trying to win one," said Mickelson, whose resume includes three runner-up finishes at the US Open.

"I'm not trying to win three, I'm just trying to win one. I know I can play well in this tournament, even though it doesn't necessarily fit the perception of how I play - with the thick rough and so forth," he said.

"I still have had some success here, and all I'm trying to do is be successful on this one golf course, at this one event," he said.

To that end, Mickelson has made several reconnaissance missions to Winged Foot, mapping out a plan of attack for the 7,264-yard, par-70 course, an historic AW Tillinghast-designed layout that last hosted the US championship in 1984.

The challenges the course offers will likely be intensified by hard, fast greens and punitive rough that make the US Open a test of patience as well as skill.

Along with Mickelson's bid to continue his progress toward a 'Mickel-slam,' the Open sees the anticipated return of 10-time major champion Woods to competition for the first time since the death of his father, Earl, on May 3.

Indeed, Woods hasn't competed since finishing tied for third behind Mickelson at the Masters, making this the longest lay-off of his career.

Mickelson, for one, isn't betting that Woods will return at anything but his best.

"I've never seen a tournament where he has not been prepared to win - unfortunately," Mickelson said.

"I would expect him to be 100 percent, because he's had a lot of time now to work on his game and get sharp and focus in on just this one tournament. I think he's going to be very sharp this week," he said.

Defending champion Michael Campbell, of New Zealand, believes the emotional turmoil of recent weeks may even work to Woods' advantage," he said.



"He's going to say 'OK, look, he's still with me.' Not in the physical sense, but somehow connected. So it's going to empower him more than anything else," he said.

Woods himself said Tuesday he wouldn't have considered playing if he didn't think he was ready to contend for the title.

He pointed out that after the only other two significant lay-offs of his career, after knee surgery in December of 2002 and after a winter-break preceding this season, he triumphed in his first tournament back.

"It's your preparation, your practice, your attention to detail when you are preparing," he said.

Woods seemed reluctant to accept that a rivalry with Mickelson, long anticipated in the golf world, was finally blossoming.

"You keep asking me things like that," Woods said.

"You have runs where Ernie (Els) was there for a little bit, then Vijay (Singh), Goose (Retief Goosen), and now Phil," he said.

"I suppose as long as I can be part of that conversation, it's never a bad thing," he said.

Singh thrust himself into the US Open mix with a victory at the Barclays Classic on Sunday.

The win ended a 21-tournament winless streak and propelled the Fijian back to No. 3 in the world rankings.

He has contended in the US Open before but never won, his best finish coming in 1999 when he tied for third.

Els and Goosen boast two US Opens apiece, but Goosen was disappointed at Pinehurst last year when he took the lead into the final round but stumbled home with an 81.

Els has struggled this season, posting just two top-10 finishes in 10 US tour starts.

Spain's Sergio Garcia, who tied for third at Pinehurst last year, will be looking to improve on that, while the European tour's hottest player, Englishman David Howell, will try to better his two previous US Open finishes missing the cut in 2002 and a withdrawal last year after a first-round 74.

Whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday will be the player who can exhibit the most complete game over four days.

"You can't have one part of your game missing," Woods said.

"You've got to have everything come together. I'm looking forward to Thursday," he said.