Seven groups to watch during the 1st, 2nd rounds of the 2015 U.S. Open
On Friday, the USGA announced the first- and second-round tee times and groups for next week’s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
The groups of three are a mix of traditional trios, high-profile three-balls and the occasional themed group. We’ve identified seven groups to watch over the first two days, and we count them down from seven to one.
7. Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Kevin Na (Round 1: No. 10 at 8:50 a.m. PT, Round 2: No. 1 at 2:50 p.m. PT) — These guys are all interesting characters, but in the rare themed group this year, the USGA put perceived slow players together.
6. Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia (Round 1: No. 10 at 8:17 a.m. PT, Round 2: No. 1 at 2:17 p.m. PT) — While Scott and Garcia are not playing their best golf, they’re compelling players. However, the headliner is Dustin Johnson, who is one of my picks to do well in this Open.
5. Patrick Reed, Chris Kirk, Jamie Donaldson (Round 1: No. 10 at 8:39 a.m. PT, Round 2: No. 1 at 2:39 p.m. PT) — The USGA grouped Kirk, who went to Georgia, and Reed, who went to Georgia before being asked to leave, going to Augusta State and crushing Georgia’s dreams as part of back-to-back NCAA championships. Jamie Donaldson is there because he’s the guy that clinched the Ryder Cup where Reed starred. Consider this the “Let’s annoy Patrick Reed” Group.
4. Martin Kaymer, Gunn Yang (a), Rory McIlroy (Round 1: No. 10 at 8:28 a.m. PT, Round 2: No. 1 at 2:28 p.m. PT) — Can Rory McIlroy make it five majors? After thousands of miles of travel in a busy stretch caught up with him, will he be refreshed at Chambers Bay? Martin Kaymer hasn’t been the same guy since winning the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. What kind of defense will he have?
3. Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Angel Cabrera (Round 1: No. 1 at 7:33 a.m. PT, Round 2: No. 10 at 1:33 p.m. PT) — Mickelson is a sentimental pick to finally capture the Open after six career runner-up finishes, including in 2013 at Merion. He’s finished second in the last two majors. Watson is a two-time Masters champion, while Angel Cabrera has both an Open and a Masters title. The imagination of Watson and Mickelson should be on full display.
2. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose (Round 1: No. 1 at 2:17 p.m. PT, Round 2: No. 10 at 8:17 a.m. PT) — The Masters champion? Check. A Masters co-runner-up and former U.S. Open champion? Check. A guy who could’ve won both by now? Check.
1. Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen (Round 1: No. 1 at 2:28 p.m. PT, Round 2: No. 10 at 8:28 a.m. PT) — Woods draws Players champion Rickie Fowler and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. So, two guys who have won the last three Open Championships played at St. Andrews and the guy the USGA thinks will win this year?
Here are the full 2015 U.S. Open first- and second-round tee times and groups:
Round 1
No. 1
7 a.m. — Michael Putnam, Marcus Fraser, TBD
7:11 a.m. — Garth Mulroy, Richard Lee, Lucas Bjerregaard
7:22 a.m. — Jason Allred, Kyle Jones (a), Cody Gribble
7:33 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Angel Cabrera
7:44 a.m. — Wen-Chong Liang, David Hearn, Hiroyuki Fujita
7:55 a.m. — Robert Streb, Lee McCoy (a), TBD
8:06 a.m. — George McNeill, Masahiro Kawamura, Cameron Tringale
8:17 a.m. — Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, Brandt Snedeker
8:28 a.m. — Jim Furyk, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Colin Montgomerie
8:39 a.m. — Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Byeong-Hun An
8:50 a.m. — Jason Dufner, Marc Warren, Matt Every
9:01 a.m. — Brandon Hagy, Matthew NeSmith (a), Sebastian Cappelen
9:12 a.m. — Nick Hardy (a), Alex Kim, Rich Berberian Jr.
1 p.m. — Jason Palmer, Roberto Castro, Andres Romero
1:11 p.m. — Denny McCarthy (a), D.A. Points, Shiv Kapur
1:22 p.m. — Bryson DeChambeau (a), Blayne Barber, Billy Hurley III
1:33 p.m. — Geoff Ogilvy, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen
1:44 p.m. — Bo Van Pelt, Charlie Beljan, Tony Finau
1:55 p.m. — Lee Janzen, Oliver Schniederjans (a), Darren Clarke
2:06 p.m. — Daniel Summerhays, Thomas Aiken, Danny Lee
2:17 p.m. — Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose
2:28 p.m. — Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen
2:39 p.m. — Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter
2:50 p.m. — Ryan Moore, Anirban Lahiri, Erik Compton
3:01 p.m. — Jake Knapp (a), Tyler Duncan, Matt Mabrey
3:12 p.m. — Michael Davan, Davis Riley (a), Andrew Pope
No. 10
7 a.m. — Troy Kelly, Seuk Hyun Baek, Cameron Smith
7:11 a.m. — John Parry, Jack Maguire (a), TBD
7:22 a.m. — Timothy O’Neal, Stephan Jaeger, Kurt Barnes
7:33 a.m. — Gary Woodland, Victor Dubuisson, John Senden
7:44 a.m. — Morgan Hoffmann, Bernd Wiesberger, TBD
7:55 a.m. — Marcel Siem, Alexander Levy, Brian Harman
8:06 a.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar
8:17 a.m. — Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia
8:28 a.m. — Martin Kaymer, Gunn Yang (a), Rory McIlroy
8:39 a.m. — Patrick Reed, Chris Kirk, Jamie Donaldson
8:50 a.m. — Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Kevin Na
9:01 a.m. — Sam Horsfield (a), Shunsuke Sonoda, Oliver Farr
9:12 a.m. — Kevin Lucas, Pat Wilson, Cole Hammer (a)
1 p.m. — Tom Hoge, Brad Fritsch, Tjaart van der Walt
1:11 p.m. — Brad Elder, Beau Hossler (a), Jamie Lovemark
1:22 p.m. — Ryo Ishikawa, Luke Donald, J.B. Holmes
1:33 p.m. — Lucas Glover, Bradley Neil (a), Marc Leishman
1:44 p.m. — Ryan Palmer, Joost Luiten, Danny Willett
1:55 p.m. — George Coetzee, Alexander Noren, TBD
2:06 p.m. — Brendon Todd, Branden Grace, Thongchai Jaidee
2:17 p.m. — Billy Horschel, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood
2:28 p.m. — Bill Haas, Charl Schwartzel, Hunter Mahan
2:39 p.m. — Shane Lowry, Ben Martin, Stephen Gallacher
2:50 p.m. — Charley Hoffman, Camilo Villegas, Tommy Fleetwood
3:01 p.m. — Mark Silvers, Brian Campbell (a), Cheng
3:12 p.m. — Jared Becher, Samuel Saunders, TBD
Round 2
No. 1
7 a.m. — Tom Hoge, Brad Fritsch, Tjaart van der Walt
7:11 a.m. — Brad Elder, Beau Hossler (a), Jamie Lovemark
7:22 a.m. — Ryo Ishikawa, Luke Donald, J.B. Holmes
7:33 a.m. — Lucas Glover, Bradley Neil (a), Marc Leishman
7:44 a.m. — Ryan Palmer, Joost Luiten, Danny Willett
7:55 a.m. — George Coetzee, Alexander Noren, TBD
8:06 a.m. — Brendon Todd, Branden Grace, Thongchai Jaidee
8:17 a.m. — Billy Horschel, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood
8:28 a.m. — Bill Haas, Charl Schwartzel, Hunter Mahan
8:39 a.m. — Shane Lowry, Ben Martin, Stephen Gallacher
8:50 a.m. — Charley Hoffman, Camilo Villegas, Tommy Fleetwood
9:01 a.m. — Mark Silvers, Brian Campbell (a), Cheng
9:12 a.m. — Jared Becher, Samuel Saunders, TBD
1 p.m. — Troy Kelly, Seuk Hyun Baek, Cameron Smith
1:11 p.m. — John Parry, Jack Maguire (a), TBD
1:22 p.m. — Timothy O’Neal, Stephan Jaeger, Kurt Barnes
1:33 p.m. — Gary Woodland, Victor Dubuisson, John Senden
1:44 p.m. — Morgan Hoffmann, Bernd Wiesberger, TBD
1:55 p.m. — Marcel Siem, Alexander Levy, Brian Harman
2:06 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar
2:17 p.m. — Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia
2:28 p.m. — Martin Kaymer, Gunn Yang (a), Rory McIlroy
2:39 p.m. — Patrick Reed, Chris Kirk, Jamie Donaldson
2:50 p.m. — Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Kevin Na
3:01 p.m. — Sam Horsfield (a), Shunsuke Sonoda, Oliver Farr
3:12 p.m. — Kevin Lucas, Pat Wilson, Cole Hammer (a)
No. 10
7 a.m. — Jason Palmer, Roberto Castro, Andres Romero
7:11 a.m. — Denny McCarthy (a), D.A. Points, Shiv Kapur
7:22 a.m. — Bryson DeChambeau (a), Blayne Barber, Billy Hurley III
7:33 a.m. — Geoff Ogilvy, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen
7:44 a.m. — Bo Van Pelt, Charlie Beljan, Tony Finau
7:55 a.m. — Lee Janzen, Oliver Schniederjans (a), Darren Clarke
8:06 a.m. — Daniel Summerhays, Thomas Aiken, Danny Lee
8:17 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose
8:28 a.m. — Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen
8:39 a.m. — Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter
8:50 a.m. — Ryan Moore, Anirban Lahiri, Erik Compton
9:01 a.m. — Jake Knapp (a), Tyler Duncan, Matt Mabrey
9:12 a.m. — Michael Davan, Davis Riley (a), Andrew Pope
1 p.m. — Michael Putnam, Marcus Fraser, TBD
1:11 p.m. — Garth Mulroy, Richard Lee, Lucas Bjerregaard
1:22 p.m. — Jason Allred, Kyle Jones (a), Cody Gribble
1:33 p.m. — Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Angel Cabrera
1:44 p.m. — Wen-Chong Liang, David Hearn, Hiroyuki Fujita
1:55 p.m. — Robert Streb, Lee McCoy (a), TBD
2:06 p.m. — George McNeill, Masahiro Kawamura, Cameron Tringale
2:17 p.m. — Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, Brandt Snedeker
2:28 p.m. — Jim Furyk, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Colin Montgomerie
2:39 p.m. — Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Byeong-Hun An
2:50 p.m. — Jason Dufner, Marc Warren, Matt Every
3:01 p.m. — Brandon Hagy, Matthew NeSmith (a), Sebastian Cappelen
3:12 p.m. — Nick Hardy (a), Alex Kim, Rich Berberian Jr.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
