This is no Slam dunk

OAKMONT, Pa. – Zach Johnson is the only golfer in the world with a chance to win the Grand Slam in 2007.

“Well, yeah …,” Johnson said, his answer spelling out the overwhelming odds of winning the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in the same year.

But as Johnson played the back nine at Oakmont Country Club Wednesday afternoon, his final tuneup for today’s start of the U.S. Open, references to the Grand Slam were shouted more than once in the direction of this year’s Masters champion.

“Two in a row, two in a row,” a fan yelled after Johnson teed off on No. 18.

The encouragement fell on deaf ears.

“I don’t hear it,” Johnson said. “At least I’m trying not to.”

The Iowa native’s quest for back-to-back major championships starts this morning off the 10th tee. Johnson is paired with Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington.

The Grand Slam hasn’t been pulled off since Bobby Jones did it in 1930.

There was the “Tiger Slam,” when Tiger Woods won four consecutive majors – the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in 2000 and the Masters in 2001. Phil Mickelson had a chance for three straight last year, capturing the 2005 PGA Championship and 2006 Masters before a double bogey on Winged Foot’s 18th hole in the final round of the U.S. Open dropped him into a tie for second.

Johnson appears to be in fine form heading into today’s play.

“Solid, solid, solid,” is how Mike Bender, Johnson’s swing instructor, described his prize pupil. “His game is in the same state it was at Augusta.”

Johnson appeared a little anxious as he finished playing the back nine Wednesday.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I was probably ready (Tuesday). I just want to start competing, more than anything. It’s not a matter of whether or not my game is ready. I think my game is fine. It’s as ready as it will ever be.”

Oakmont is hosting the championship for an unprecedented eighth time.

More than 5,000 trees were removed to restore the links feel of the course, which has no water hazards.

But the fairway and greenside bunkers are plentiful and deep, the fairways narrow and the rough long.

“You’re really going to have to play well from tee to green,” Woods said. “And then the fun really begins.”

Asked if there were any fun holes at Oakmont, Woods joked, “Yeah, the 19th is great, man.”

Statistically, signs point to Johnson being an Open contender. He ranks fourth on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy at 73.3 percent. He’s also 14th in scoring average (70.02), 22nd in putts per round (28.44) and 47th in greens in regulation (65.04 percent).

But Oakmont has a way of crunching numbers.

“You could be at the top of your game and get shellacked here,” Johnson said. “The golf course is the story this week.”

Johnson had missed the cut in his three previous major championship appearances, and six of his previous eight, when he followed his game plan to perfection and played the Augusta National Golf Club better than anyone.

“There really wasn’t much to say about my major history,” Johnson said.

A tie for 17th in the 2005 PGA Championship had been his best finish. In three U.S. Opens, Johnson has missed the cut the last two years. His best career finish, a tie for 48th, was in 2004.

But Johnson changed his image at Augusta. That’s why he’s a leading candidate to win the Open at an Oakmont course that has everything from a 288-yard par-3 hole, No. 8, to a 667-yard par-5, No. 12. Oakmont plays to a par of 70.

“Par is probably a little skewed just because it’s not really how the course plays,” Johnson said.

Mickelson points to holes 7 through 10 as the key.

“I think it’s the toughest stretch in all of golf, a stretch that will eliminate the majority of the field in that four-hole area,” Mickelson said.