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As ideal preparation for the season's second major goes, Lee Westwood's timing couldn't have been much better.
His thrilling victory at the St Jude Classic in Memphis will serve as a huge confidence boost if he needed it, as the world's best players head for California this weekend.
Westwood's victory over Swede Robert Karlsson at the fourth play-off hole to claim his first PGA Tour victory for 12 years will only serve to reinforce what many believe that Westwood's long overdue first major could just be around the corner.
The Englishman had not won in America since the New Orleans Classic in 1998, despite going close on a number of occasions. The world number three has had top-three finishes at the 2008 US Open and 2009 USPGA championships, as well as finishing runner-up in this year's Masters and fourth at The Players last month.
He now heads for this week's US Open on the back of a win that seemed highly unlikely during regulation play. Robert Garrigus looked to have the tournament in his pocket, but blew a three-shot lead on the last, taking seven after driving into the water, then finding the trees with his third.
That meant the 32-year-old American - who has never won on the PGA Tour and does not even have full playing rights this season - headed into a play-off with Westwood and Karlsson, much to the surprise of both Europeans.
Worse was to follow for Garrigus, who hit a monster three-wood more than 320 yards on the first play-off hole - the 18th - and finished right behind an oak tree. He could only chip out sideways and then saw his par putt lip out and with that his chances of victory.
Westwood and Karlsson carried on through three halved holes until back to the 18th they went and with the daylight fading rapidly, Westwood fired a superb wedge to seven feet and rolled in the birdie putt to win his 32nd title worldwide. Let's hope he carries this form on to Pebble Beach.
There are many tournaments to look forward to during a calendar year, but mid-June every year offers golf fans the chance to witness the ultimate test - the US Open.
On October 4, 1895, the first US Open Championship was conducted by the United States Golf Association on the nine-hole course of Newport Golf and Country Club. The surprise winner was Horace Rawlins, an English professional who was the assistant at the host course. Rawlins scored 91, 82 - 173 with the gutta-percha ball.
Prize money totalled $335, of which Rawlins won the $150 first prize; the tournament has come an awfully long way since those early days, and is now one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world as one of the four 'Majors'; it is played at a different venue around the US every June over 72 of the most testing holes in golf.
Being an Open means that the tournament is open to everyone, amateurs and professionals alike and many preliminary qualifying rounds are keenly contested across the US prior to the tournament proper. Everyone dreams of taking their place in one of golf's strongest fields, with the superstars of the game.
This year the tournament returns to the course that many believe to be its spiritual home - the Pebble Beach Golf Links on the Monterey Peninsula in California. This is the first time that the championship returns to the course where Tiger Woods destroyed the field by 15 shots in 2000 in a display of quality golf possibly never to be repeated. Since then the course has been lengthened by 194 yards and will provide the players with one of the toughest tests imaginable.
American Lucas Glover, a surprise winner last year in New York defends his title. But with Tiger still struggling for form it is one of the most open Open's for years. The USGA set the courses up so that par is once more a good score - they usually get it right and it makes for compulsive viewing. Go on Lee!
