Tiger Woods smiles during a practice round prior to the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California on Monday. Photo: VCG

 

The 119th US Open at Pebble Beach has the makings of a classic as Tiger Woods returns to the scene of a signature triumph to take on a new generation of stars led by two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka. Koepka, 29, has a chance to do what only one golfer has done before him - win a third straight US Open title.

It's been more than 100 years since Willie Anderson accomplished the feat, and Koepka says there's no better place to chase history than Pebble Beach, where five ­prior editions have produced enduring major championship memories.

Jack Nicklaus won the first US Open staged at Pebble Beach in 1972. Ten years later it was Tom Watson and in 1992 Tom Kite. Woods triumphed in 2000 by a crushing 15 strokes - still a major championship record - and Graeme McDowell ended ­Europe's 40-year US Open drought when he was the last man standing with a classic US Open total of even par 284 in 2010.

Koepka knows history is against his bid for a treble. "I know the odds are stacked up probably even more against me now to go three in a row than to back it up," Koepka said, noting that "It's hard to win the same event three times in a row."

The last player to win the same major three years in a row was Peter Thomson at the British Open from 1954-56.

The last player to win a PGA Tour event three straight years was Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Woods won the same tournament at least three straight years six times in five tournaments, so it's perhaps no wonder he returns to Pebble 19 years after his 2000 triumph in the title mix. Having cemented his return from the injury wilderness with his 15th major title at the Masters, Woods says he's "trending in the right direction."

The same can be said of three-time ­major winner Jordan Spieth, who struggled to 11 straight finishes outside the top 10 to start the season but has posted three straight top 10s coming into the third ­major of the season.

Dustin Johnson, who pushed Koepka late before settling for second behind the American at the PGA Championship last month, also features among the contenders, and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy arrives off an imperious seven-stroke ­victory at the Canadian Open.

Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson reckons Pebble Beach offers one of his last legitimate chances to finally capture the US Open - the only major to elude him, while American Rickie Fowler again seeks to shed his current "best player never to win a major" label.