Faldo launches mission to tame unknown monster

Nick Faldo remains much in demand. He is wearing a cap that reads: "I * NY," as the spearhead of a marketing campaign in the United Kingdom for the city of New York. At the Posh and Becks pre-World Cup party a round with the six-time major champion was auctioned for £27,000.

He is to become the official coach to the England captain. David Beckham is keen to learn golf but has admitted that playing in front of other people would be worse than running out at Old Trafford naked. "I said we could go somewhere quiet and away from everyone for a few lessons," Faldo reported. "He said that was exactly what he needed. Call me Sven Faldo."

The invitation by the US Golf Association to the 102nd US Open at Bethpage Black, keeps Faldo's run of consecutive majors going at 60 but he admitted: "This is my reward, playing this course. It's an unknown gem but it's a monster. It's got length, requires accuracy, has mega-thick rough, bunkers that are eight-feet deep and super-fast greens. They say the greens are flat but I haven't had a straight putt yet. They are very slippery. No one knows the subtleties because we haven't been here before.

"Ten years ago I would have loved it. I'll still enjoy it but you wait in trepidation for tomorrow. If you are playing well you can cope, but if you are not it'll grab you by the ankles. Carnoustie had the elements but this is as tough as you can get in calm conditions. If it really blew here it would be impossible."

David Leadbetter, Faldo's coach during the glory years, recently compared the Faldo of a decade ago to the Faldo of today: "He was a racehorse. Now he's a carthorse." Faldo, who finished 14th at the Masters in April, replied: "I can't believe he said that. He must have been misquoted. We had 13 years of pretty good stuff together. I haven't talked to him about it, but I will."

Though Bethpage Black, at 7,214 yards, is the longest course in the championship's history, the usual US Open principles apply. Players have only been able to hit a wedge out of the rough in practice. "You can't play from the rough," said David Duval. "At least you can but only for two days."

Power alone will not win a US Open but since 1980, when statistics of this kind were first kept, no one who has led the fairways hit category has won either. Seven who led greens in regulation, including Ernie Els in 1994 and '97 and Tiger Woods in 2000, have lifted the trophy.

"I think the US Open is the most nerve-wracking tournament in the world," said Sergio Garcia. "The Masters also gets on your nerves because you have some really tough shots to the greens, but in this tournament it is everything."

Severe though the challenge is, it is less cerebral than at Augusta, where the rest imploded as Woods won his sixth title in 10 majors. Tiger still has some things to prove here. He has yet to win the Masters and the US Open in the same year, he has only once won more than one major in a year (three in 2000) and he has yet to win on a par-70 course. Eight unsuccessful attempts might be too small a sample to be mathematically significant but it is a trend Woods would like to halt.

For the first time, a two-tee start will be used in the hope of speeding play. As the course goes out and back, there are logistical problems. Also, the stretch from the 10th to the 12th is one of the most difficult on the course and a bad start could set the tone for the round.

US OPEN (Bethpage, New York) Selected first-round tee-off times (US unless stated, all times BST): (1st tee): 1245 S Garcia (Sp); 1825 R Goosen (SA), D Duval. (10th tee): 1255 P Mickelson, 1335 C Montgomerie (GB); 1815 N Faldo (GB); 1835 T Woods, D Clarke (GB).