This year, the US Open heads to Congressional for the third time.

Here are the most frequently played courses for the US Open:

Oakmont - 8 times
Baltusrol - 7
Oakland Hills - 6
Winged Foot - 5
Inverness - 4
Merion - 4
Myopia - 4
Olympic - 4
Pebble Beach - 4
Shinnecock Hills - 4
Cherry Hills - 3
Chicago GC - 3
Medinah - 3
Oak Hill - 3
Philadelphia CG - 3
Southern Hills - 3
The Country Club - 3
Bethpage Black - 2
Canterbury - 2
Congressional - 3
Olympia Fields - 2
Pinehurst - 2

One each: Atlanta Athletic, Baltimore GC, Bellerieve, Brae Burn, Buffalo, Champions, Columbia, Englewood, Fresh Meadow, Garden City, Glen View, Interlachen, Inwood, Midlothian, Minikahada, North Shore, Northwood Club, Onwentsia, Riviera, Scioto, Skokie, St. Louis, Torrey Pines, Worcester

As it turns out, nearly half of the US Opens have been played on ten courses.

Winding up to this year’s US Open ... here’s a list of the past champions, from Graeme McDowell in 2010 to Horace Rawlins in 1895.

Now that Tiger has withdrawn, I thought it would be interesting to revisit the odds for the 2011 US Open. In the absence of the striped one, Lee Westwood emerged as the bettor’s favorite, at 10/1. He’s closely followed by World #1 Luke Donald, and The Man Who Would Be King, Phil Mickelson. Rory McIlroy (16/1), Martin Kaymer (20/1), Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker (22/1); Hunter Mahan and Matt Kuchar (25/1) and Graeme McDowell and Nick Watney (28/1) round out the top of the field.

Phil’s game has been looking more positive these days, and I should think that no one would want to win the US Open more. Anyone, that is, other than Lee Westwood, who needs a Major Championship to get the monkey off his back. Without one, he’s the guy who backed into the World #1 position by winning the Greater Southeaster Asia Polo Club Pro Am. Or Dustin Johnson, who would like to shed the cross of “Gave Away Two Majors.” Or Rory McIlroy, who’d like to not be perpetually labeled as a final round choke artist. Or Graeme McDowell, who’d like to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. Or Matt Kuchar, Mr. Close But No Cigar. Or… Or…

Hey. Who doesn’t want to win the US Open? (Hint: his initials are VS).

For the complete odds, see the list below.

Jack Nicklaus had it right: Tiger is out of the US Open due to lingering issues with his leg. He made his announcement on Twitter.

Not surprised.

It’s interesting to note that Tiger’s making all his big announcements these days via Twitter. He also tweeted his decision to stay with Steinberg Seems that his leg isn’t the only thing injured. He also suffers from some malady that makes him unable to deal with the media face to face. He’s moving into Howard Hughes territory here.

From a Doug Ferguson AP article, there’s an interesting Curtis Strange quote:

The future of Woods, meanwhile, is as muddied as ever.

“The hardest thing in the world as a golfer, or any athlete, is to stay out,” two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange said. “It’s smart what he’s doing. Unfortunately, the U.S. Open falls in that time frame. But every time something happens, and the longer he’s away from the game, it’s going to make it tougher for him to come back.

“It’s going to be harder and harder the long this goes.”

And here’s Azinger’s take on the situation:

Still, I’m sure Tiger has made the right decision for his future. Playing injured is just asking for trouble, especially for a guy with a history of injuries. I actually wonder if he would have been better off not to have played on the injured leg at Torrey Pines.

At his Memorial tournament press conference, Jack Nicklaus let the cat out of the bag:

Q. Given Tiger’s injuries lately, how would you assess now, I know you get asked this all the time, but how would you assess his ability to—

JACK NICKLAUS: I would have no clue. Tiger called me Friday and he was trying to—he said, I tried up until today to see if I’m going to be able to come and play, but I can’t. He said, I’m still hobbling, and he said, I don’t know whether I’m going to make the U.S. Open or not.

Did anyone really think he was going to make his comeback at the world’s toughest tournament? I didn’t.

I don’t think it’s too early to take a look at the betting odds for the 2011 US Open at Congressional Country Club. In spite of what seems to be mounting evidence that their day is done, Tiger (6/1) and Phil (10/1) top the list of favorites. They’re followed by Lee Westwood (16/1) for whom I personally also give little chance. Westwood, I think, is the new Colin Montgomerie: stellar on the ordinary stage, but not quite having the inspiration to take the big ones.

I rather like the next batch more: Rory McIlroy (16/1), Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer (20/1), Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney (25/1), and at 33/1, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Paul Casey and Geoff Ogilvy.

My beef with Charl is the extreme unlikelihood of winning back-to-back majors. In the last thirty years, the only players to have done that are Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington. That’s just three back-to-backs in a hundred and twenty majors. On that basis alone, I’d say the odds of him winning are much, much worse.

The others that top the list are all talented, relatively young players who represent the best of the next generation. You may argue with Ogilvy as a new generation player, though. He’s just two years younger than Tiger.

I think the trend is that we’re going to see someone in the middle of the pack win out. Schwartzel was 50/1 for this year’s Masters. Kaymer was 40/1 for the 2011 PGA; Oosthuizen came from out of the field at the 2010 Open Championship; Graeme McDowell was 80/1 at the US Open. Mickelson was 12/1 at last year’s Masters—the last time one of the top players surfaced as a victor.

The complete betting odds for the 2011 US Open at Congressional are below, courtesy of Bodog, the world’s largest betting destination:

It’s not too early to start taking a look at the odds for the year’s next major: The US Open. Played this year at Congressional Country Club, site of Ken Venturi’s heroic 1964 win, and Ernie Els triumph in 1997, Congressional also has hosted a PGA Championship and a US Senior Open.

To what should be no one’s surprise, the bettors again are favoring Tiger Woods, who is in at 6/1. Somewhat surprisingly, I think, Phil Mickelson is just after at 10/1. Phil has never won a US Open, and his early season performance does not inspire me to think this will be the one. But money is headed in his direction nonetheless.

Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy are in at 16/1. Not good bets, in my mind. Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer are at 20/1. Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney are in at 25/1.

Masters Winner Charl Schwartzel clocks in at 33/1, along with Geoff Ogilvy, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar and Paul Casey.

My money would be on none of the favorites. I think that the talent in golf is so deep and so even right now that any one of a hundred golfers could pull off a victory. In fact, I’d bet on any BUT the leaders. Is there a bet for someone outside the top ten?

The complete odds are below, courtesy of Bodog, the world’s largest betting destination.