US Open :: Featured groups

7.33am – Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Angel Cabrera

Just as the career slam hype was on McIlroy at Augusta, Mickelson is now the recipient of that as he looks to win the US Open at the 25th attempt. The 45-year-old has finished runner-up at the tournament SIX times without ever lifting the trophy but seems to fancy his chances at Chambers Bay, which he has called a ‘wonderful golf course’.

He tees off with double Masters champion Watson, who has a pretty chequered record in the tournament with one top five, one top 20 and four missed cuts in his eight appearances.

They’re joined by 2007 champion Cabrera, who will be teeing it up at the US Open for the 16th time, but he has failed to break the top 20 since his win at Oakmont.

8.28am – Martin Kaymer, Gunn Yang (a), Rory McIlroy

Unlike a lot of defending champions who arrive at the year’s four majors, Kaymer hasn’t been talked about a lot heading into Chambers Bay – probably down to the fact that the German has failed to finish inside the top 30 in seven PGA Tour starts in 2015, while he also missed the cut at the Irish Open.

Kaymer seems pretty relaxed due to the lack of media attention and said: “A lot of times I’m under the radar, which is fine.”

US Open champion in 2011 McIlroy arrives in the Pacific Northwest refreshed after a two-week break following a hectic five-week schedule which saw the ‘mentally fatigued’ Northern Irishman miss the cut at the BMW PGA Championship and the Irish Open.

The European Ryder Cup winning duo are joined by US Amateur champion Gunn Yang, who missed the cut at Augusta in his first major appearance.

2.17pm – Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose

‘Inventive’ was the word Masters champion Spieth used to describe Chambers Bay when he spoke to the media on Monday and the 21-year-old possibly has a couple of advantages heading in his fourth US Open as he also played the course in the US Amateur in 2010, while his caddie Michael Greller has a wealth of local knowledge.

“I think it’s going to help driving the ball, sight lines and understanding when things get firm he’s going to know where it would run off to a little better, maybe. I think off the tee it’s really going to help,” said Spieth.

Day has three top five finishes in just four US Open appearances, but has missed the cut in his previous two tournaments – the Players Championship and the Memorial Tournament. He does, however, have a win to his name on the PGA Tour this season at the Farmers Insurance Open, along with three other top five finishes.

Winner at Merion in 2013 Rose heads into his tenth US Open on the back of excellent recent form, which started with a runner-up finish to playing partner Spieth at the Masters and was followed up with a win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans before an agonising defeat to David Lingmerth in a play-off at the Memorial.

2.28pm – Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen

It’s anyone’s guess as to how 14-time major champion Woods will get on this week. His third round 85 at the Memorial Tournament was the second time in 2015 that the 39-year-old had posted the worst round of his professional career and he said earlier this week that his game may have to suffer in the short-term for benefit in the long-term.

Fowler, who finished in the top five at each of the four majors in 2014, is relishing the US Open challenge ahead and will be buoyed by his second PGA Tour win at the Players Championship last month.

The group is completed with 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who has one top ten finish in his five previous US Open appearances, but the South African withdrew in his most recent tournament at the Crowne Plaza Invitational with a neck injury.

US Open :: Who will win?

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