The Chris Wood column

Last updated: 15th June 2010

Hello everyone - this week I'm not talking to you from Pebble Beach, venue of this week's US Open. Instead I'm in a wet flat in Bristol!

More of that story later - first I'll explain why I'm not in California.

US Open qualifying came the day after the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and not only was a I completely exhausted after four weeks playing golf at the top of the leaderboard (and in the final group at Wentworth itself) but I had also had a long discussion with my manager Chubby Chandler about my schedule.

He was quite keen that I try and maintain the momentum I had gained on the European Tour.

I've been playing some great golf since returning to Europe from the Masters and Chubby felt it was important not to disrupt that progress.

I could see where he was coming from - of course, I might not have made it through the Walton Heath qualifying tournament, but if I had it would have effectively taken two or three weeks out of my schedule.

On the one hand that would have been great - playing at Pebble Beach against the world's best!

But then I wouldn't have played in Portugal last week (where I picked up another decent 15th place finish) and the big month ahead of me would have been attacked with very little rest time.

As it is I've got the BMW International next week, followed by the Open de France and then possibly the Scottish Open before the Open Championship at St Andrews.

I do feel in need of a break so perhaps it will work out fine this year.

Which leads me to the subject of the "wet flat" because on my return from Portugal I was expecting two quiet days and instead found my flat had a burst pipe and the floor has had to come up!

I've only been in the flat a few weeks so I've been trying to fill it up with stuff and that's gone a bit pear-shaped.

Not to worry - everything should be fine for later in the week when the golf comes on the TV and I will be tuning in to see how things go.

In recent times I've been playing the majors so it will be mixed feelings watching one but I love to do that, especially watching Tiger Woods.

Even people who don't like golf will watch Tiger and I think that proves how big a star he is. I certainly enjoy seeing what he gets up to, not least because there is always a real excitement and buzz around him and his group.

Of course his life has changed a lot in recent months but I'm not so sure that the players' attitude to him has changed that much. The players recognise that he's been through a lot of things and that it will take a bit of time for him to return to the player he was - but I think it will happen.

Perhaps some players see it as an opportunity like when he was injured in 2008. There was talk then that it represented the chance to get a major whilst he was away and it kind of feels like the same - but it might not last long!

The simple fact is that Tiger is the man to beat so it doesn't need a rocket scientist to tell you that if he is not quite there more players have a chance.

The final holes of an event demonstrate as much: if he is there or thereabouts he is an undoubted favourite but if he isn't any one of ten players might win. He's the only player in the world who would be so strong a favourite as he is when in contention.

I'll also be watching Lee Westwood this week because for the last two years he has been so consistent and hasn't been rewarded as he should have been by results.

I've played with a him a few times in the last six months and his golf is so impressive; I'd say he is the best driver of a ball in the world at the moment.

And given that the US Open tests driving it really should suit him this week.

Of course there is that old line about the Europeans not winning the US Open for forty years but that's not something the players talk about really and, although my limited experience of playing in the States has proved to me that there is a different atmosphere there (not just the hot and humid conditions in the US Open and PGA but a different vibe at the event), it's not really going to be an issue for players who've been in the top fifty for a decent length of time.

If Lee doesn't win, Dustin Johnson might go close - he's a big hitter who loves the course.

And there always seems to be an old guy who crops up. I hear Golf365.com's tipster Dave Tindall fancies Tom Lehman to go well this week and that's not a bad shout.

Enjoy the week!