AFP/Pinehurst, North Carolina

Tiger Woods will miss his second major in a row after back surgery, with the 14-time major champion helpless to stop his major win drought extending beyond the six years since his 2008 US Open triumph.

In his place at Pinehurst are a host of on-form contenders, including Bubba Watson coming off a second Masters triumph, Rory McIlroy coming off a victory at the European PGA Championship just days after breaking off his engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama trying to follow up his playoff win at the Memorial tournament.

Pinehurst will offer a formidable test with lightning-quick greens featuring minimal safe landing areas, making accuracy a must. The usual rough will be replaced with natural scrub brush, pinestraw and wire grass to offer hazards for those whose balls roll off wider fairways that also will play firm and fast.

Scott backed up his rise to the top of the rankings with a victory at the Colonial, giving the 2013 Masters champion from Australia solid momentum heading to Pinehurst. “I’m playing really well. I think I’ve got good momentum going into the major, absolutely,” Scott said.

“I’ve just brought my game exactly where I want it to be. I’ve contended the past few weeks. Hopefully I can do the same thing at Pinehurst and can use some fresh experience to get me over the line.”

Reigning British Open champion Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion who also won the 2005 PGA Championship, has a record six runner-up finishes at US Opens, including a 1999 second at Pinehurst behind the late Payne Stewart. “Of the three other majors outside of the Masters, yeah, my record is the best at the US Open. I’ve played my best golf there,” Mickelson said.

FBI investigation

 Mickelson will also have the distraction of being the subject of an FBI investigation into insider stock trading that also involves invester Carl Icahn and gambler Billy Walters. “I have done absolutely nothing wrong,” Mickelson said.

While Mickelson elected to play a PGA event at Memphis the week before the US Open, Masters champion Watson took a rest week before his first trip to Pinehurst after a third-place Memorial effort. “Obviously I’m looking forward to it,” Watson said. “The ball-striking is all right. My all-around game is getting better, getting more consistent. That’s always exciting going forward.”

For Matsuyama, the sky is the limit after an emotional Memorial victory that was literally a dream come true for the Asian star.

“One of my goals since I was a little guy was to win on the US PGA Tour and now that I’ve done that, my next goal now would be to win one of the four majors,” Matsuyama said. “I hope the momentum of winning will carry over to the US Open.”

McIlroy shook off the breakup and boosted his confidence as he aims for a second US Open win and third major title.

“I think it was very important,” he said. “I showed quite a lot of mental strength or focus and when I really needed to play well and hole some putts and get it up-and-down, I was able to do it. It gave me a lot of confidence.

“The fairways are going to be a little more generous than they usually are at a US Open and it will encourage guys to get driver in their hand. You can be aggressive off the tee, which I like.”

Rose likes it tough

Australian Jason Day, a two-time US Open runner-up, is also in the hunt. “I feel like I’ll win a major,” he said. “I’ve just got to pay my dues and really keep working hard and hopefully I’ll get a few.”

And don’t count out defending champion Justin Rose, although the Englishman’s first major title came at Merion, not Pinehurst.

“The US Open test suits my game. I like to play the tough courses,” Rose said. “I’ve got all the shots. It’s just a matter of putting them all together.”