Stuart Appleby&aposs US Open preparations have been far from ideal, with the Australian struggling with a slight injury for the majority of the week. Appleby, to tee off in his 13th US Open on Thursday night (AEST), said his lead-up to the tournament has been hampered by an upper-back niggle. “My preparation probably hasn&apost been ideal the last few days. I&aposve been nursing a little bit of an injury in my upper back which I think is coming good. But it hasn&apost been able to put more than nine holes in at a time,” he said. The 38-year-old Victorian said despite this setback he had full faith his game had enough weapons to get a fair result at Bethpage Black. “I think enough good things are in my game, and my results don&apost show that, but I think there&aposs enough good stuff there where I can get something out of this event,” he said. Asked about how tough the course is to play, Appleby said: “That&aposs US Open”. “Look, the fairways aren&apost hugely wide but we know that We all spend time trying to hit through 20, 22-yard gaps trying to replicate what a lot of the fairways can be like.” “You will be in trouble if you hit it wide, and you&aposll be in more trouble if you hit it wider, which is the way the game should be.” Compatriot Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 champion, said that the rough is going to be difficult, but is &aposdoable&apos. “The rough around the greens is a different grass to the rest of the fairways. It&aposs not that long, but it&aposs absurdly thick and wiry,” he said. “The first cut, that&aposs actually pretty reasonable. And then the five or six yards off the fairway when the heavy stuff starts is really, really bad, and that&aposs the spot not to go. That&aposs the wedge out back on to the fairway.” The US Open begins 9pm Thursday, with Ogilvy teeing off at 9:55pm and Appleby 3:47am Friday morning (all times AEST).