In golf, the US Open championship is being played this week at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, near Washington. The defending champion, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, won the event last year at Pebble Beach, California.

Tiger Woods is missing his first US Open since nineteen ninety-five. He is out with leg injuries.

The US Open is one of the four major events in golf. And for the first time, since nineteen ninety-four, all four championships are held by golfers from outside the United States.

Germany's Martin Kaymer won the PGA Championship last year. South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen won the British Open. And South African Charl Schwartzel won the Masters in April.

The last American to win a major event was Phil Mickelson -- at the Masters last year. Mickelson says he is not worried about American golfers. He says a lot of young players in the United States are improving.

PHIL MICKELSON: "We have a plethora of great players coming up, but it's obvious that world golf as a whole has become so much stronger, and that international and European golf has become world class and top notch and some of the best players in the world and certainly on the rankings right now. So although international golf has really taken off, American golf is still in very good shape."

President Obama has invited the speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, to play golf on Saturday. No one expects them to settle their disagreements on issues like the economy, health care or the military action in Libya. But White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says they may be able to work together better in the future.