Get ready for a real grind

US OPEN: It's often difficult to have any genuine sympathy for professional golfers complaining about how tough it will be to do their job. It's a bit like listening to millionaires whinge about paying taxes. Tough.

In this instance, though, the apprehension is merited as the world's elite prepare to tackle a Pinehurst No 2 course that has baked under a mercilessly unrelenting sun. "It's going to be one hell of a test," said Vijay Singh.

Yesterday, on the eve of the US Open, the summer's sun brought the mercury on the temperature gauge to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It provided a hint of what's to come, with players' sweat-stained shirts stuck to their bodies like cellophane wrapping.

The upshot of the sizzling sun, however, is that the turtle-back greens, the main defence on this classic, Donald Ross-designed course, will be faster and firmer, accentuating a challenge that the USGA annually set out to be the toughest in golf.

"I think this is the hardest US golf course I've ever played from tee-to-green and around the greens," remarked Singh.

Mindful of what occurred in the final round at Shinnecock Hills a year ago - when the course effectively went over the edge - Singh, the world's number two, even went out of his way to warn championship director Tom Meeks, "If you lose the golf course, you'd better hide . . . but there's no place for you to hide, because we're going to find you."

Singh added: "The course is very fair at the moment, but it's very, very difficult. But it could go over the edge very quickly. If they don't watch it, it's going to get over the edge in a heartbeat. I'm sure every player knows this is going to be one of the hardest US Open golf courses. It's going to be hard to break par here."

For their part, the USGA plan to keep the greens watered, and, if necessary, syringe them during play, so they don't get out of control.

Indeed, Ernie Els observed that the course was "in perfect shape", adding: "The greens are firm but not crazy."

The cautionary words from many players, it would seem, are designed to ensure the USGA keep their word and don't allow a repeat of what happened a year ago when the greens became so firm it was virtually impossible to keep the ball on them.

To be sure, the test that awaits promises to be severe. It will examine all aspects of a player's game. They must be accurate off the tee (with a hybrid Bermuda rough awaiting errant tee-shots), and their will be a premium on iron play and players controlling their distance and putting the ball in the right part of the greens. But this championship will be won and lost around the greens, where players will be required to demonstrate creativity unlike anywhere else.

The roll-offs around the putting areas are extreme, and will pose players numerous tests. Do they putt? Or do they bump and run? Do they use fairway woods, or lobwedge? The challenge is exacerbated by the fact that many of the slopes around the greens feature newly sodded areas that haven't fully knitted-in.

"We recognise it's not going to be perfect, but we think it's very playable," observed USGA president Walter Driver, chairman of the championship committee.

Be that as it may, the challenge will be the same for every player, from world number one Tiger Woods, who was exempt under no fewer than eight categories, to those who came through qualifying.

For the 23 Europeans in the field, there is the added challenge to finally get a gorilla off their backs: it is 32 years since Tony Jacklin was the last European player to win this particular major, and the belief is that the No 2 course is suited to many of their games.

One of them is Luke Donald, who may not be the longest off the tee but who is methodically accurate (and a key requisite is to avoid the rough). "I feel like my game is improving every year and this year I feel like it's improved every month too," said Donald. "The last few days I've been trying to get a mental picture of the greens in my head, trying to figure out where I don't want to be and where the best places to miss are. A lot of forward thinking is needed on this course."

In many ways, it's each to his own. Woods paid a flying visit last week before going home to practise at Isleworth, Phil Mickelson also paid a flying visit before going on to play at Congressional. Els, too, played at Congressional, where he had his fourth top-10 finish of the season on the US Tour, and admitted, "My game is pretty close to where I want it to be."

Padraig Harrington, too, is hopeful this week will mark a return to contending in a major. One of three Irishmen in the field, along with Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell, Harrington has gone eight majors without a top-10 finish, his last such placing coming in the US Open at Olympia Fields in 2003. "There's a lot of difficulties around Pinehurst No 2, it really does ask all the questions . . . (but) I'm quite comfortable with the way I think it's going to be set up," he said.

Retief Goosen, who has won two of the last four US Opens, remarked: "It's the toughest major to win, and the toughest golf course to play on. Last year, Shinnecock was tough. I think Pinehurst will be tougher than Shinnecock."

The cream will, inevitably, rise to the top. The demands on shot-making, on creativity around the greens and on a player's patience will mean that only someone content to grind away and take the rough with the smooth will survive. We know Goosen can grind. So, too, can Singh and Harrington and Els and Mickelson.

But is there a better grinder in the game, on his day, than Woods, who is seeking to take the second leg of the grand slam? I don't think so.