US Open: Ernie Els returns to the site of his 1997 US Open victory for the Booz Allen Classic at the Congressional Country Club in Potomac, Maryland, this week still searching for his first PGA Tour win of the year.

With the tournament's regular home, the TPC at Avenel, being evaluated for renovations, the Booz Allen's move to the Congressional has attracted eight of the world's top-10 players, including number one Vijay Singh, in the run-up to next week's US Open.

A winner three times internationally this year, Els has found the going tough in the US and will be keen this week to recapture some of the magic from eight years ago when he claimed his second US Open title by one shot from Colin Montgomerie.

"This week's Booz Allen Classic has added interest for me, with the tournament returning to the Congressional Country Club, scene of my second US Open victory," said the world number three.

"It just doesn't seem like eight years ago. It's so fresh in my mind, and obviously I have a lot of great memories from the week, especially the par-four 17th in the final round where I hit probably the best shot of my career to give myself a precious lead playing the par-three final hole.

"Since then, they've added a couple of hundred yards to the overall length of the golf course, but it's still going to be the same kind of test. I enjoyed it a lot back in 1997 and I'm really looking forward to teeing it up there again."

After missing the cut at the Memorial last week, Singh will also be looking to get back on track ahead of the US Open.

In nine events before the Memorial, the Fijian had a pair of wins, two second spots, two thirds and a fifth place, but, after a break, Singh had problems shaking off the rust, and carded rounds of five-over 77 and two-over 74 to miss the cut by five strokes.

Rounding out the top 10 teeing it up at the Congressional are Phil Mickelson, US Open champion Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia, Chris DiMarco, defending champion Adam Scott and Padraig Harrington.

World number two Tiger Woods and number 10 David Toms are not competing this week in Maryland.

Generally pleased with his third-place finish and overall performance last week at the Memorial, Woods will spend this week fine-tuning his game for Pinehurst, saying he saw no benefit playing in the Booz Allen.

"I'm going home to practise," said Woods, who will be seeking to add a third US Open title to the fourth Masters championship he won in April. "It's apples and oranges compared to this US Open. The Congressional is a US Open site, but it's so different than this Open is going to play."

Twice US Open champion Lee Janzen, who won at the TPC at Avenel in 1995, returns to action at the Booz Allen after missing nearly a month following an emergency appendectomy in mid-May.