The 2013 US Open will return to Merion Golf Club for the first time since 1981. Starting Thursday, the current crop of the best golfers in the world will be treated to an old-school course rich in tradition, with closed oval-shaped baskets atop the pins instead of traditional flags. 

Merion plays at just under 7,000 yards so golfers will not be challenged with length off the tee box this weekend, but that doesn't mean there aren't challenges awaiting once ball leaves tee. Accuracy will be key and staying out of the thick rough and many bunkers must be a focus over the four days of tournament play. Balls will be challenging to find in the rough, no matter how many eyes are searching and landing in the bunker means battling the raised edges of the sand hazards. No easy task, to be sure.

All is well that ends well, but the greens at Merion will not be treating golfers to easy hole conclusions by any means. Golf.com's Michael Bamberger reported the greens will register in the low 14s on the Stimpmeter scale this week. Weather conditions will be a big factor in how fast golfers will have to gauge their putts. 

The course itself is registered as a National Historic Landmark and over 150 golfers will tee off on Thursday to try and mark their place in US Open history. That scenario alone makes the 113th US Open must-see, for the drama will be vast even in the cozy quarters of Merion Golf Club. 

As is custom with any major championship, the full-throttled debate on who will win is the desired talk a day before the tournament begins. 

I scanned the major golf sites to see who was picking and who and here's the consensus:

1. Surprise, surprise, the majority have their money on Tiger Woods, who won his last major in 2008 at the US Open. 

2. Graeme McDowell is getting a lot of support as well and many believe his great year is about to get better.

3. Phil Mickelson should never be considered a dark horse, but the number of votes he's getting suggest he's on people's minds but is a long shot. 

4. Those who did not go with the obvious - and boring picks - have an eye on Jason Day, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson.

Logic says one of those golfers will be the winner, but there is no logic in golf, especially when it comes to making picks. "Expert" picks, as they call them on main stream sites. 

Now, for the "Non-Expert," "Junior Varsity" picks... aka mine:

1. Rory McIlroy - No one is talking about him, so why not?

2. Jason Dufner - "Dufnering" next to a basket pin on 18 on Sunday? Yes, please

3. Phil Mickelson - Old reliable, just like Merion. Just be smart off the tee, Lefty.

Past 5 US Open Champions, so you can sound smart when you talk about golf with your friends this weekend:

2012 - Webb Simpson; 2011 - Rory McIlroy; 2010 - Graeme McDowell; 2009 - Lucas Glover; 2008 - Tiger Woods

TV Schedule

Thursday: 9am-3pm ESPN, 3pm-5pm NBC, 5pm-7pm ESPN

Friday: 9am-3pm ESPN, 3pm-5pm NBC, 5pm-7pm ESPN

Saturday: 1pm-7:30pm NBC

Sunday: 1pm-7:30pm NBC

The first round of the NFL draft airs in prime time tonight and it got me thinking… if the PGA Tour had a draft with all current Tour players available, who would the first pick be? Better yet, what would the Top 10 look like?

Let’s say there are ten owners of “golf teams.” Each team gets one golfer and their stats throughout the year are calculated and put to use in some formula that also includes what place the golfer finishes in at each tournament.

Basically, it’s Fantasy Golf, but since we’re nearly five months into the golf season I’m going to use 2013 performance, as well as future potential to make my PGA Tour Draft Picks.

With the first pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the Cleveland Wedge’s select…

Rory McIlroy: He’s got the brightest future of any golfer on Tour and he’s already a proven winner. No brainer here.

With the second pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the New York Slicers select…

Tiger Woods: Many believed Woods would be the first pick, but it’s 2013, not 2003 and while Woods most likely has a few major wins left in him, he’s still on the backside of his career.

With the third pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the Sacramento Sand Traps select…

Luke Donald: It’s not a flashy pick but Donald is much like Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints in that he’s consistent and has the ability to have a break out year, every year and winning the big one is never out of the question.

With the fourth pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the Austin ArnoldPalmers select…

Adam Scott: Not only is he a major champion winner, he has great marketable looks and let’s be honest, it’s all about money. He traveled a long road to get to that first major and has plenty of years left in the tank.

With the fifth pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the San Diego Fringe select…

Phil Mickelson: San Diego takes the hometown boy and multiple time major champion. It’s a risky pick, but will pay big dividends if Mickelson has a resurgent second half of his career.

With the sixth pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the St. Louis Water Hazards select…

Keegan Bradley: The future is bright for Bradley and being a major champion at the ripe age of 26 easily puts him in the Top 10.

With the seventh pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the Chicago Wind select…

Bubba Watson: Chicago will love Watson’s charisma and charm. They’ll fall even more in love with his huge driving ability and being in contention in nearly every tournament.

With the eighth pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the Augusta Nationals select…

Rickie Fowler: It’s not always about what you’ve done in the draft, it’s about what you might do. While Fowler’s loud wardrobe choices may be a bit much for Augusta’s conservative nature, the possibilities could very well be endless for Fowler if he reaches his potential.

With the ninth pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the New England Fairways select…

Justin Rose: Solid player. Great attitude. Always seems to be in the mix on Sunday. What more could you want?

With the tenth pick in the 2013 PGA Tour Draft, the Denver High Rough select:

Dustin Johnson: Controversial pick at 10, but Denver must like the potential if Johnson can find the proper balance of mental focus and physical ability in the future. Or maybe they just want Paulina Gretzky at home games. Tough call. 

What more can be said about The Masters that hasn’t been said already?

In reality, no words can do justice to the majestic scenery of Augusta National and no words can do justice to describe the battle PGA Tour golfers will face mentally and competitively over the course of four days. 

The Masters speaks for itself. 

The battle for victory is where we can interject, debate and make bold decisions about who will be wearing the coveted green jacket on Sunday. Onto the Power Rankings...

1. Tiger Woods - Woods hasn’t conquered Augusta National since 2005, but prior to that he’s donned the green jacket four times. He’s on a roll in 2013 with three wins and hasn’t shown a combination of mental focus, shot control, and putting ability like this since he was dominating the Tour single-handedly. If not this year, then when?

2. Bubba Watson - I usually reserve the top spot for the returning champion, but as much as I’d like to not be on the Tiger band wagon, it’s pretty impossible not to be right now. Watson had a dream ride to his first green jacket last year and though he hasn’t won a tournament since The Masters last year, I’m of the belief someone with the ability of Watson can catch that magic again.

3. Rory McIlroy - McIlroy hasn’t started 2013 with a bang, but he did finish second in the Valero Texas Open last week. The demons of 2011 have been tamed, but McIlroy will need to find the right balance of focus and risk if he’s going to win his first green jacket. McIlroy has epically struggled mentally at Augusta National, but he has matured a lot in two years.

4. Adam Scott - Scott is going to put it together at some point because he has all the tools to win a major and that includes The Masters, which is typically a different beast than the other three. Each year, he gets a little more experienced and when he finds the right groove he’s very tough to beat.

5. Phil Mickelson - Mickelson is rarely not in contention at The Masters, so logic says he’ll be in the mix on Sunday. He won the WM Phoenix Open earlier this year and has shown flashes of good form. As is custom with Lefty, if his risks pay off, you can be sure he’ll be in one of the last groups on Sunday.

So, who’s going to win it? I’ll take my Top 5 in Power Rankings to finish all in the Top 10, but Woods is getting another green jacket on Sunday. 

Who you got? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter.

The day after every golf season is, I start a countdown. Holidays come and go, the weather turns to a winter apocalypse in Chicago, but I keep counting down the days. 

On Thursday, that countdown reaches zero and FINALLY, THE MASTERS have come BACK to my television. For the millions (AND MILLIONS) of Augusta National’s fans, this is the greatest time of the year. The Masters is the major of all of majors on the PGA Tour, the premiere event, or simply, The Big One.

In a matter of days Jim Nantz will be softly speaking in historic tones while a beautiful, yet treacherous landscape frames the television picture. 

We’ll see Tiger in red (hopefully), Bubba Watson in a quest to defend his green jacket, and the greatest golfers in the world hoping they’ll be the one Watson puts a new green jacket on. 

Rory McIlroy says he is “100 percent.” He’ll need every one of those percentage points both physically and mentally to tame Augusta National. He’s failed miserably and historically at this course in the past, but to say he’s matured since then would be an understatement.

Past Masters champions will walk the grounds that made them immortal heroes and one lucky golfer will join their ranks again this year. Masters champions are never forgotten, for their conquest of Augusta National is a feat unlike any other. 

In 1934, Bobby Jones’ greatest legacy began. In 1949, the first green jacket was awarded to the winner. In 2013, another golfer will become legendary. Now, the only question is... who?

We've gotten through a lot of Internet trends and memes over the last few years. Each explodes, then disappears in the matter of a few weeks. Remember the Harlem Shake? 

What's different this time is a PGA Tour golfer is involved. His name is Jason Dufner. 

It all started with this:

And that led to these:

And a whole lot more.

Enjoy the holiday weekend. Don't forget to buy your loved ones some golf equipment from Hurricane Golf and if you get out on the course, may your drives fly straight and your putts travel on the proper lines. 

If you're in to participating in these viral memes, feel free to post them on our Facebook fan page or send them to us on Twitter.

My intentions were to begin the New Year covering the first PGA Tour tournament of the year, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, HI, but sometimes the wind just blows you in another direction. 

Literally. 

In my lifetime, I don't ever recall so many delays on behalf of wind. I don't remember any wind delays, in fact, which makes the four day delay so extraordinary. No one wants to swing a club in a thunderstorm or try to find their white golf ball in a foot of snow. That's completely understandble. But, wind? Well, I live in the Windy City and I've been nearly knocked over by some of the gusts that kick up in downtown Chicago, but I've never not gone golfing because of a wind forecast. Nor have I known, seen or heard of anybody else doing so. 

It could be because of my skill level, but wind is never really a big factor in my golf game. Like so many of you, I enjoy grabbing a bit of grass and throwing it in the air to see where the wind is going. Most of the time it doesn't seem to matter which way the wind is blowing because my accuracy isn't on point enough to be aided by gusts of wind. Regardless of the value of the wind information I get, I just like the idea that doing the test is important and makes me look more legit. 

There might come a time when I actually get really good at this game and wind statistics will matter more to me. For now, it is what it is. I'll toss the grass and look at it inqusitively as it falls to the ground. The last time knowing the wind conditions was important to my game and I was able to do something about it was about 10 years ago. But, I was playing speed golf in a thunderstorm with a friend and having the wind at my back helped propel me down the fairway after my ball faster. 

I do feel as though the PGA Tour missed a huge opportunity to attract viewers and showcase a fun, mostly silly product.Just let them play through it. I know I'd watch a player chip in to the wind and watch them chase afer their ball as it flies in random directions or blows right off of the green and into the bunker. 

I know I would watch hours of PGA Tour players struggling the way we do in perfect weather. Can you imagine how made Tiger Woods wood get? Or how funny Bubba Watson would be? 

This is starting to sound like Steve-O's next TV show. 

We can only hope.  

The FedEx Cup used to be an extremely clunky playoff system that the media and fans treated with no reverance whatsoever. It didn't mean anything to win it other than the paycheck and the trophy. That's not how postseason sports are generally revered. It's not about the money - it's about the prestige, bragging rights and etching ones name into the archives as champion forever. 

Winning the FedEx Cup isn't like adding a major championship win to a golfer's resume, but after 5 years of tweaks that have brought a competitive balance and excitement to each of the four tournaments, it's a playoff system that golfers are starting to take very seriously - and want their name attached to as its champion.

The PGA Tour was very smart in creating this playoff system, but not becoming beholden to the original format. Tiger Woods won the first tournament by 12,578 points. He amassed 123,033 and had 30,574 going into the first tournament. Somwhere along the way he earned another 92.459 points, won the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship, while most fans and media sat around wondering what the point of all this was. No one wants to keep track of over 90,000 points and how each was earned over a months time. 

Vijay Singh followed Woods as champion, winning The Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championship in 2008. He edged Camilo Villegas by only 551 points. Problem is, he didn't even need to play in the TOUR Championship to win the Cup. 

Woods returned as champion in 2009 with a reformatted system designed to make the TOUR Championship be the most important tournament of the series because it became virtually impossible to win the FedEx Cup after only three tournaments had been played. The number of points awarded was scaled back to a manageable amount, which if nothing else simply just made sense to do. 

The FedEx Cup really started to heat up in 2010 when Jim Furyk went on a magnificent run and clinched the playoff win by winning the TOUR Championship. The 2011 playoffs were even better, with Bill Haas securing his victory due to a spectacular closing performance that gave him the narrowest margin of victory yet, a mere 15 points.

Which brings us to 2012. There has been a buzz around the playoffs this year that I haven't felt in the previous five years. Most of that centers around the newfound rivalry of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Cut throat, it is not, but that doesn't have to be the basis of a rivalry. Woods has been seen playing great golf when he's paired with McIlroy and that's great for the game. What's better is the dominance McIlroy has shown throughout the playoffs and he's doing it with a youthful charm and attacking mentality that endears him to the fans and media. 

Like Woods and Singh before him, he's already won two tournaments: the Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship. Woods won the last two tournaments in 2007, Singh the first two and now McIlroy has already won the middle two which means if he does take home the title, the surest route to victory is winning half the tournaments - which is obviously much easier said than done.

It's no surprise that McIlroy has been so dominant this year, we've always expected it. It's just much more on our radar because he's played more on the PGA Tour in 2012 and declared that he wanted to win this playoff series last year. 

It will be a longshot for any golfer to over take McIlroy to win the FedEx Cup, but here are the key players hoping to spoil his party:

Tiger Woods (-3,232) If he wins the TOUR Championship, he's the FedEx Cup champion. It's as simple as that. How epic would it be to have Woods and McIlroy battling down the stretch on the back 9 Sunday? Imagine the tension that will bring to the Ryder Cup. Imagine how much a win would vindicate Woods after he's struggled to find his form for so long and close out tournaments. Finally, imagine the TV ratings and instant classic status this scenario would create. Please?

Nick Watney (-3,713), Phil Mickelson (-3,879), Brandt Snedeker (-3,942)

If they win Sunday, they win it all. Each has a reasonable chance of winning if they don't win the tournament, but the margin for error in that case is very high. 

Twenty five other golfers have a chance to win the FedEx Cup if they win the TOUR Championship and a million other things go their way including: Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Zach Johnson, Jason Dufner, and Bubba Watson. They are very long shots, but we have come to know that anything can happen through four rounds of golf. Anything. 

Picks

It has been a long time since I've struggled this much to make picks, but that's what happens when the future of golf and one of the best of all time go head-to-head, 1 vs. 2, in a winner take all contest. My mind is telling me McIlroy is the pick, while my heart really wants to see Tiger win a nail-biter that we won't soon forget. Yet, it's not as easy as picking one or the other. There are very strong golfers behind the top two and all they've got to do is win. The more I think about these picks, the worst I normally do, so let's just get on with it, shall we?

1. Rory McIlroy

2. Tiger Woods

3. Jason Dufner

4. Dustin Johnson

5. Phil Mickelson

Am I using reverse pyschology to try and will Woods to a victory? Not exactly, because I would be perfectly content watching McIlroy win this thing as well. However, and I wrote about it earlier this week, if we can just get Woods and McIlroy battling again I would be more than satisfied. And if the PGA Tour really wants to put this playoff series over with fans who are on the fence about it, there could be no better way. 

I remember wishing Darren Clarke wouldn't win the British Open. It's a memory that quickly took a 180, as I found myself pulling for the Irishman down the stretch last year. It wasn't that I had anything against Clarke, I just really wanted Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson to get a win for the U.S. I had a sliver of hope that Anthony Kim was making a career comeback at the right time or Rickie Fowler was making the leap in front of our eyes at such a young age. 

Clarke was resilient last year and his stellar play caught and emotion that Sunday afternoon just enough to drop my allegiance and realize the best story was for Clarke to raise the Claret Jug. It's a great, historic trophy and Clarke was the right man to take it home for the year. I was surprised - not disappointed - to hear Clarke, renowned for always being up to raise a pint, never put a drop of liquid to enjoy out the of the cup because he respected it to much. It made me happy that I pulled for him a year ago. It was funny to learn he got his replica of the trophy and filled that one up for a toast (you can get your own for a cool $129.99 here). I considered it for a long time before remembering I have a wedding to pay for in a couple months. 

Reflecting on the 2011 British Open has got me excited for this year's edition. As with every golf tournament, it's the questions that linger that drive the anticipation for the major championship...

Will Tiger be on a high or low at the right time to win? 

What is Phil Mickelson's game going to look like?

Is there a chance that Clarke can find magic again and repeat?

Can we really consider Tom Watson a contender?

Is it time for Sergio Garcia or Lee Westwood to get the proverbial major monkey off their back?

How many golfers are going to lose their opportunity for finding one of the 206 bunkers and not getting out in one try?

What is the state of Bubba Watson's mental golf game?

Is there any chance in the world John Daly makes some noise beyond the loud pants he'll be wearing?

I could go on forever, or worse, I could actually try to answer these questions and extend this column by thousands of words, but what's the point? All of those questions will be answered by the end of Sunday and another form in past tense will take there place. Golf is a game of questions in which all are not answered. That's why we pay attention. The intrigue never dies and this British Open is far from lacking intrigue. 

My Picks

1. Rory McIlroy

2. Tiger Woods

3. Zach Johnson

4. Graeme McDowell

5. Sergio Garcia

Round 1 Tee Times

Match Ups

Field

Olympic Field in San Francisco, CA is treating PGA Tour players like a scorned lover. It's standard practice for a U.S. Open course.

ESPN in Bristol, CT is treating golf fans like a bunch of crash test dummies. It hasn't always been standard practice for U.S. Open coverage.

It's one thing to have to stomach the comedic faux pas of Rick Reilly video packages... at least there is good video behind it and has a limited timespan.

The guttural crooning of Chris Berman on the other hand? Torture. I don't recall Berman ever stepping into the golf world for ESPN, but I - and many other golf fans - would guide him to his first steps right out the door. This isn't Sunday Countdown. It's not even the homerun derby. It's golf, and the last thing fans want to hear is Berman's grunting and failed attempts at witty commentary.

God forbid we start getting Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith in post-round coverage. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised.

Though the first two rounds have been painful to listen to, the watchability factor has been extremely high. Tiger Woods shares a piece of the lead at -1 and is a serious contender heading into the weekend. If Tiger is in contention, ratings go up and all is well in the golf world. Fortunately there are other storylines unfolding just in case Tiger falls apart and reverts back to his recent form, including:

- Old timers David Toms and Jim Furyk also sharing a piece of the No. 1 spot at one-under-par.
- Amateur Beau Hossler only being four shots off the lead. Did I mention he's 17 and didn't even win his state championship in high school this year?
- Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy, and Luke Donald all missed the cut joining 14-year-old Andy Zhang with a first class trip home. That's only a major storyline because it opens up the field quite a bit with them out (minus Zhang of course)
- Phil Mickelson DID make the cut after a horrendous first day, shooting a 71 on Thursday and keeping himself inside the cutline at +7.

Safe to say we're in for a great weekend, especially with Berman leaving the broadcast booth.

Round 3 Tee Times
http://www.majorschampionships.com/usopen/2012/scoring/tee_times.cfm

The U.S. Open is not a tradition unlike any other. It's not overseas with a classic jug as its trophy. It doesn't don the name of the golf association.

It's just the hardest test at a major championship every year. It's the national tournament. This year, it's going to be hot right out of the gate as well.

The group of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson is as star studded as it gets. Having all three of these golfers together to open the tournament will surely have an effect on the number of fans tuning in to see golfers try to conquer Olympic Field in San Francisco, CA.

If you have the audacity to pay attention to any other group, set your eyes on the group of Casey Martin, Dennis Miller and Cameron Wilson. I've written in the past couple of weeks about Martin qualifying for the U.S. Open 14 years after he last played in it. If for nothing else, there will be a sense of nostalgia seeing him in his golf cart at Olympic Field. Who knows, he just might top his T23 performance from over a decade ago and find himself in a much bigger spotlight than he currently occupies at the University of Oregon.

There's also a foreign invasion group looking to snag the U.S. Open Championship which consists of Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood. If you're looking to put your money in any group to win this thing, this group could be your best bet. McIlroy won it last year, Donald is coming off his best year ever and Westwood is bound to win a major at some point.

There are 41 American players and 36 international players in pursuit of a major championship over the next four days. If the past is any indication of the future, we know one thing is certain...

The course will shine just as much as the players and be one of the biggest factor in victory or defeat.

Picks

1. Tiger Woods (I don't know why I keep doing this... maybe I'll be right one day and feel good about myself)
2. Rory McIlroy (Won't quite earn a repeat victory... but he'll be close)
3. Sergio Garcia (He said himself he can't win a major... but he can be in contention)
4. Luke Donald (Can never be counted out... has a good chance to win)
5. Lee Westwood (Won't win his first major... and might start thinking like Garcia does)

Round 1 pairings/Tee Times

Live Scoring