Singh and Mickelson eager to play Oakland Hills

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Former winners Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson will approach this week's PGA Championship at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in buoyant mood after delivering strong performances at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Fijian Singh overcame an erratic display with his putter to clinch his first victory in a World Golf Championship event on Sunday while Mickelson was close to his best before fading over the closing holes.

In the absence of injured American world number one Tiger Woods, the defending champion, Singh and Mickelson are among the leading contenders for the fourth and final major of the year.

American left-hander Mickelson, winner of the 2005 title at Baltusrol, has been listed by British bookmakers William Hill as the tournament favorite at 10/1.

Singh, champion at Sahalee in 1998 and at Whistling Straits in 2004, is one of five players backed at 20/1.

Irishman Padraig Harrington, who successfully defended his British Open title at Royal Birkdale last month, has been listed as a 16/1 chance to triumph at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Although Mickelson was bitterly disappointed to squander a one-shot lead with four holes to play at Firestone Country Club on Sunday, he was in optimistic mood for this week.

"I feel like I'm playing well, I just need to get that final piece of scoring down," the American world number two told reporters after tying for fourth place, two strokes behind Singh. "I really played well all week at Firestone.

"(In the final round) I felt I should have shot 63 or 64. I had countless birdie opportunities from six to 15 feet and then I make three bogeys on the last four holes."

Although erratic with his short-range putting at Firestone, Singh was in sparkling form from tee to green at Firestone where he ended a PGA Tour title drought of 17 months.

BEST WEEKS

"My iron game was about one of the best weeks I've had for a long, long time," the 45-year-old Fijian said after sealing his 32nd career victory on the world's most lucrative tour.

"It was good to see and good to know that it's happening at the right time. We've got some big tournaments coming up and I'm just looking forward to playing (at Oakland Hills) now."

With four-times champion Woods sidelined for the rest of the year in mid-June following reconstructive knee surgery, the door is open for a long list of players to shine.

Of all the majors in recent times, the PGA attracts the strongest field and yet has been the most likely to throw up a surprise winner.

The championship was won in consecutive years by unheralded Americans Rich Beem (2002) and Shaun Micheel, underlining that any player is capable of victory if his game is on song.

Whoever ends up lifting the prized Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday will have coped best with one of golf's toughest challenges.

The par-70 South Course at Oakland Hills was described as "The Monster" by American Ben Hogan when he battled to victory there at the 1951 U.S. Open.

Only two sub-par rounds were shot during the tournament and Hogan memorably said: "I am glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees."

The course has since been lengthened to 7,446 yards and Mickelson felt it was "a perfect, straightforward immaculate test" when he played a practice round there last week.

"The golf course was in great shape, the fairways were a fair width, the rough was a fair height and the greens were a fair speed," he said.

For Singh, Oakland Hills will challenge every component of the game.

"It's not going to be putting well or hitting your irons good, I think you've got to bring the whole package," he said.

The 90th PGA Championship starts on Thursday.

(Editing by John Mehaffey)