All Eyes Tracking Tiger As 118th US Open Tees Off

Southampton, United States, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jun, 2018 ) :Tiger Woods's latest bid to end his 10-year major championship drought begins Thursday at a US Open stacked with talent and packed with compelling story lines.

By the time Woods was to tee off at Shinnecock Hills at 1:47 p.m. (1747 GMT) -- alongside world number one Dustin Johnson and second ranked Justin Thomas -- the powerhouse group of Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy were set to be winding things up on the par-70 course on New York's Long Island.

Mickelson, who turns 48 on Saturday, is vying to become just the sixth man to claim the career Grand Slam, the US Open the only major missing from his resume.

Mickelson, a six-time runner-up in the event, is paired with two other multiple major winners lacking just one leg of the Grand Slam -- McIlroy, who has yet to win the Masters, and Spieth, who has yet to claim a PGA Championship.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy isn't a fan of the so-called super-groups the US Golf Association likes to put together.

"At a major championship, you don't need (it)," McIlroy said. "I don't think the anticipation level can get any higher anyway."While all eyes will be on Woods, the 42-year-old star making the 10th start of his comeback after spinal fusion surgery can't be considered the most likely man in his group to contend for the title.