ANTIQUES SHOPS

The Sharks have acquired the rights to Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart, setting up the possibility that their first-round draft pick in 1998 will be able to end his NHL career where it began.

Center Andrew Murray, who played 39 games for San Jose last season before being sent to the minors, goes to the Red Wings in the deal. If the Sharks do sign Stuart, Detroit also will receive a seventh-round pick in 2014.

Stuart, 32, said several months ago that he wanted to re-locate to the West Coast after his current contract expires on June 30 because he wanted to be closer to his wife and children, who have remained in the San Jose area. The Sharks now have almost three weeks to sign him before Stuart becomes an unrestricted free agent.

"I don't know if it's going to be my final NHL contarct, but I hope it is my final destination," Stuart said . I've lived here in the off season every since I was traded and I have a lot of respect for the organization."

Stuart had 36 goals and 117 assists in 377 games as a Shark before being traded to the Boston Bruins on Nov. 30, 2005, as part of the deal that brought Joe Thornton to San Jose. Since then, he also has had short stints with the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames, before landing in Detroit at the 2008 trade deadline.

A left-handed shot, Stuart would likely be a Top Four defenseman with the Sharks.

"Brad is a player we are very familiar with — a physical, team-first

Stuart stressed again Sunday that he has loved his time in Detroit, where he helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 2008. He had six goals and 15 assists in 81 games with Detroit last season.

The third overall pick in the NHL draft, Stuart was considered an offensive-minded defenseman at the start of his career. That has changed over the years.

"I went to Detroit and I wasn't really counted on for any kind of offensive output," Stuart said, "so I just focused on other parts of my game. I take pride in being a good, physical player who's hard to play against, working hard every night and being one of the guys that the coaching staff and other players can count on to be giving it his all every night.

"Consequently I've become a better rounded player," he added. "I don't put up as many points as I did in my first few years in the league, but I think overall I'm a better player."

The Sharks still need to reach agreement on a new contract with Stuart, who is coming off a four-year, $15-million deal with Detroit.

The marquee group for the beginning of U.S. Open practice rounds Monday features Tiger Woods, fellow Stanford teammate Casey Martin, current Stanford sophomore Cameron Wilson and Oregon State junior Nick Sherwood.

The foursome tees off at Olympic Club at 7 a.m. in the first group of the day. Master's champion Bubba Watson is slated to tee off in the second group 15 minutes later.

Players trickled in at various times this week, with several sneaking in some time at the practice range and on the course in anticipation of Thursday's first round.

Woods already has made his way around the new layout at Olympic Club in recent weeks. On Monday, he gets a chance to catch up with Martin and to play in a group that features two amateurs.

A flood of players is expected at Olympic Club on Monday, given the PGA tournament in Memphis ends today.

Woods is fresh from a victory at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. He finished tied for 18th the last time the U.S. Open was played at Olympic Club, in 1998.

Jason Dufner pocketed two victories and a runner-up in his past four tournaments. He enters the U.S. Open as one of the favorites, though few people could pick him out of a crowd.

That's fine with Dufner, he said after a practice round on Olympic Club on Sunday.

He skipped the St. Jude Classic this week in Memphis so that he could get his first look at the Olympic Club.

"I feel comfortable with the golf

Dufner, 35, contended numerous times in 2011, yet failed to break through with a victory. That changed when he captured the Zurich Classic and the Byron Nelson Championship within a three-week span bridging April and May.

He arrived in San Francisco atop the PGA Tour money list, with more than $3.8 million in earnings this season. Now, he would like nothing better than to add his first major.

"It would be awesome," Dufner said. "It's my favorite major. It's the one that, as a kid, I followed most closely. I always watched it, never missed one. I even went to a couple as a spectator growing up. To win your national open would be something of a fairytale."

Dufner kicks off his first round at 1:47 p.m., in a threesome that also features Jason Day and 2012 Master's runner-up Louis Oosthuizen.

Dufner wasn't the only high-profile player who spent numerous hours on the practice range and golf course Sunday.

Two-time U.S. Open winner Ernie Els, No. 1 ranked Luke Donald, 2010 PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer, Master's champion Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Vijay Singh and Keegan Bradley were among those getting in some pre-tournament work.

The players bounced around from hole to hole, not always in proper sequence and oftentimes playing numerous shots from the same location.

Els, among others, paid particular attention to the green on the par-4 14th, which slopes from back to front, with a huge ridge in the middle.

Most shots ran out of steam on the ridge and rolled back toward the front of the green, prompting many players to take another shot.

The 16th hole has been lengthened to 670 yards, the longest hole in U.S. Open history. Long-hitter Kaymer said he has no intention of going for the green with his second shot.

"I don't even think Bubba can get home in two," Kaymer said of the ultra-long Watson. "It's just a very, very long par-5. It's a three-shot hole. It doesn't really matter how long it is, you can't get home in two. You just try to put yourself in a good position for a third shot."

Kaymer said it struck him in playing Olympic Club for the first time how the ball doesn't travel as far because of it being at sea level.

Even so, he added, the course sets up well for his game.

"I really like it because there are a lot of holes that go left to right and you need to fade the ball a few times from the tee and that's my natural shot, so I think I can do well here," Kaymer said.

Kaymer likens U.S. Open layouts to the ones favored by the PGA Championship, which are in stark contrast to those for the Master's and the British Open. Hence, he feels as if he has a realistic shot at capturing his second major.

All eyes will be on Woods from the time he arrives Monday morning. Dufner, Kaymer and others said they don't mind someone else taking away most of the spotlight, at least in the early going.

"Every tournament we play and every tournament Tiger plays, it's a lot about him and the other players are under the radar a little bit," Kaymer said. "For some players, it's good. Some players like to be pushed by the crowds a little bit, they like to be watched by other people. But I like to be under the radar and see how far I can push it into Sunday."

Dufner said playing at Olympic Club gives Woods a discernible edge over many others in the 156-player field.

"Obviously, he gets a lot of the attention every week that he's playing, especially the majors," Dufner said. "Being an area that he played collegiate golf in and from the state of California probably puts a little bit more of a microscope on him and probably gives him a little bit of an advantage being comfortable.

"As a player, though, you're not too concerned about what other guys are doing until you get into a match play or a couple of guys at the end. As the week goes on, you're not too worried about what Tiger Woods is doing."

Dufner forged a friendship with Martin through their time together on the Nationwide and PGA tours. He said he will be keeping close tabs on how Martin fares in his return to the course Martin first played a U.S. Open on 14 years ago.

"It's pretty neat," Dufner said of Martin's qualifying for the Open despite not playing much competitive golf in recent years.

"I know he's been coaching up there in Oregon, so it's pretty unique going to school at Stanford and coming back and enjoying the Olympic Club under the U.S. Open conditions one more time. So, hopefully he'll have a great week."