The last three U.S. Open champions will play together for the first two rounds at Erin Hills.
The USGA announced that defending champ Dustin Johnson will be grouped with Jordan Spieth, who narrowly edged Johnson for the 2015 title at Chambers Bay, and Martin Kaymer, who cruised to victory at Pinehurst in 2014. The trio will begin their opening round on the 10th tee at 9:35 a.m. ET Thursday.
All three hope to become the first to win multiple U.S. Open titles since Tiger Woods won at Torrey Pines in 2008, while Johnson will look to become the first back-to-back winner since Curtis Strange won in 1988-89.
Full-field tee times for Rounds 1 and 2 at the U.S. Open
Another marquee group in the early/late wave includes a trio of top-10 players, all in search of their first major: Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm, who will start on No. 10 at 8:51 a.m.
Six years after he won the U.S. Open at Congressional, Rory McIlroy will look for major No. 5 alongside Jason Day and 2013 champ Justin Rose. That trio will start off the first hole at 3:09 p.m. Thursday, while reigning Open champ Henrik Stenson will play alongside a pair of South African major winners, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, at 2:47 p.m.
Phil Mickelson has stated his intention to skip the U.S. Open to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. But Mickelson has not formally withdrawn to leave open the possibility of a significant weather delay allowing him to tee it up. With his daughter’s commencement scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Thursday, Mickelson received one of the last tee times, 3:20 p.m. alongside Steve Stricker and Stewart Cink.
Source: Internet
