#1 Cochran - PSR Showdown
Who will conquer Oakmont in 2007?

Vijay Singh
By Randy Tantlinger
Golfin' Around

"Read it-Roll it-Hole it" will be the motto at Oakmont June 14-17.

Sure, her rough is nasty and you may never come out again. So there goes Phil Mickelson, he's doomed. Learn some control kid. The fairways are narrow and tight, so pack a lunch, John Daly. She's had a haircut and you aren't the man you were in '94, so there goes Ernie Els.

Chris DeMarco? No. Justin Leonard? No. Sergio Garcia plays too wild.

Retief Goosen maybe. Tiger Woods, well, obviously a pretty good chance as the odds-on-favorite.

How do you tame the beast known as Oakmont? Focus, discipline, play within your game, hit fairways and read greens. Oh yeah, those evil, nasty greens. They are notorious. The members at Oakmont play them at 15 on the Stimpmeter, but the USGA slows them down to 13.5 for the U.S. Open. They slant, undulate and are guarded by deep bunkers and a rough that holds the secret to the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa.

So who's got a shot at the Open Championship? One man has the ability to focus and read those greens: Vijay Singh.

In 2004-2005 Vijay was the world's No.1 ranked player for 32 weeks straight. His name translates into "Victorious Lion" in his native Fijian tongue and his practice habits translate into "champion." He is infamous for practicing hours before a tee time; stepping off a course and into the interview room, then back to the driving range for two more hours. Now that's focus, kids. He's got one Masters championship and two PGA titles under his belt; you don't think he wants another major in a U.S. Open?

2004 was his high water mark with nine PGA Tour victories, including the 84 Lumber Classic. He holds 18 top 10 finishes and his 31 career victories on the tour are the most by a non-American player.

I asked Vijay once, during his remarkable season in 2004, "How are you able to maintain this incredible winning streak?"

He just looked at me, smiled and said, "It's a state of mind."

So you gonna bet against Vijay?

Randy Tantlinger hosts "Golfin' Around" Saturday mornings at 10:30 on FSN Pittsburgh.

Tiger Woods
By Paul Alexander
FSN Pittsburgh

OK, so it's not earth-shattering, but I have to take Tiger Woods for the upcoming U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. You can have Vijay as well as the field.

I was lucky enough to spend a good deal of time at Oakmont putting together a show on the history of the course for FSN Pittsburgh (I know, it's a shameless plug). Oakmont professional Bob Ford walked with Tiger when he was here last month to check out the course, and Ford was impressed with the knowledge Tiger had of the course, considering the fact that he had never played it. Tiger noticed all the changes - not just that all the trees were gone.

Tiger is a great golf historian and will appreciate Oakmont's deep and rich history more than most of his contemporaries. The fact that Bobby Jones called Oakmont the greatest test of championship golf is not lost on him.

Patience, putting and persistence will define this years' Open champion and who better meets that criteria than Tiger? He is an absolute student of the game.

With the rough as gnarly and nasty as Oakmont has ever seen, hitting fairways will be paramount. That's not always Tigers' forte with a driver, but when he can shape shots with his plus 4 metal or his trusty 2-iron, I like his chances. Esteemed Oakmont historian John Fitzgerald can't imagine anyone but Tiger winning the eighth Open to be played on the famous track. I also talked with Arnold Palmer and he too would be shocked if someone other than Tiger Woods claimed the title.

It seems like a cop-out to pick Tiger to win, but as I went up and down the list of potential contenders, I just couldn't pull the trigger on anyone else. Could someone fire a Johnny Miller-like 63 on Sunday to steal the championship? Sure. Could Tiger start hitting it crooked and get swallowed up by the bunkers, the rough and the drainage ditches? Absolutely.

I just think the Open sets up for the player that is strongest both physically and mentally and make no mistake: Tiger Woods simply is that player.

Paul Alexander is an anchor and reporter on FSN Pittsburgh.