World number one Scottie Scheffler, second-ranked Xander Schauffele and third-ranked Rory McIlroy will play the first two rounds together at this week's US Open, organisers announced on Tuesday.
The US Golf Association released tee times for the first and second rounds of the 124th US Open at Pinehurst, with Scheffler, Schauffele and McIlroy off together from the first tee at 1:14 p.m. (1714 GMT) on Thursday.
Two-time Masters winner Scheffler, whose five US PGA Tour victories this year include last week's Memorial, also will join four-time major winner McIlroy and Schauffele, who won May's PGA Championship, at 7:29 a.m. off the 10th tee for the second round on Friday.
The same threesome played in the first and second rounds at the Masters in April, which Scheffler won.
Just ahead of the feature trio, 11 minutes earlier each day, are Australian Jason Day, South Korean Tom Kim and American Harris English.
Just behind the 1-2-3 group each day will be defending champion Wyndham Clark and fellow Americans Brian Harman, the reigning British Open champion, and Nick Dunlap, last year's US Open champion and North & South winner at Pinehurst.
Just after that group, at 1:36 p.m. on Thursday, will be Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, Spain's Jon Rahm and American Jordan Spieth -- all past Masters winners.
The tournament will start Thursday at 6:45 a.m. with an all-American first tee group of Michael McGowan, Logan McAllister and Carter Jenkins and an international trio off the 10th tee -- Rico Hoey of the Philippines, Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin and Italy's Matteo Manassero.
An early feature group off the first tee on Thursday at 7:40 a.m. includes American multi-major winners Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa. A group ahead of them will be Japan's Ryo Ishikawa, Spain's Sergio Garcia and Italy's Francesco Molinari.
Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, tees off at 7:29 a.m. Thursday off the 10th tee alongside fellow American Will Zalatoris and England's Matt Fitzpatrick.
Two groups behind them will be Sweden's Ludvig Aberg and Americans Dustin Johnson and Tony Finau with a US Open champion trio just behind them in England's Justin Rose and Americans Gary Woodland and Webb Simpson.
An afternoon feature group off the 10th tee at 125 p.m. on Thursday includes Norway's Viktor Hovland and Americans Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa.
AFP