Golf Events / Editor / 25 April 2007 /

Tiger Woods is predicting conditions at the Oakmont course being used for this year's US Open will provide a stiffer examination than the recent Masters in Augusta

The world number one played the course for the first time on Sunday, and said: "Overall, I'd say it's a lot harder than Augusta."

Woods ended the Masters competition tied for second on three over with South African pair, Rory Sabbatini and Retief Goosen, and afterwards described it as "one of the most draining weeks I've ever had in a major as the conditions were so difficult".

Woods last year missed his first halfway cut as a professional at a major championship as he bowed out of the US Open at Winged Foot.
And the two-time winner is expecting this year's event to be just as tough. "It's a great test, but has a lot of blind tee and second shots," Woods said of the Oakmont course.

Woods is certain to be a leading contender in the outright winner marker for the Pennsylvania event, which runs from June 14-17, and there will be a number of other markets involving the world number one opening up nearer the time.

After missing out to eventual winner Zach Johnson at Augusta, punters appear to believe that there is a good chance Woods, who won the Open and US PGA Championships in 2006, may go winless in the majors this year.

In the 'Tiger Specials - Major Wins' market, 'None' and 'One Major Only' are currently the joint favourites at 2.52, while 'Two Majors Only' is next best at 5.1. A clean sweep of the remaining majors appears unlikely and is the outsider at 26.

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