The China Mail - McIlroy with Rose and Lowry while Scheffler off late at US Open

The US Golf Association announced tee times and groups for Thursday's first round of the US Open at Oakmont on Tuesday with defending champion Bryson DeChambeau in a traditional pairing.

DeChambeau starts off the first tee at 7:29 a.m. (1129 GMT) alongside fellow American Xander Schauffele, the reigning British Open champion, and Spain's Jose Luis Ballester, the 2024 US Amateur champion.

One group behind them at 7:40 off the first tee will be three US Open winners -- Americans Wyndham Clark and Gary Woodland and England's Matt Fitzpatrick.

Five-time major winner McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters in April, starts off the 10th tee at 7:40 a.m. alongside 2013 US Open winner Rose of England and pal Lowry, the 2019 British Open winner from Ireland.

Three other Claret jug winners tee off together at 8:02 off the 10th tee -- Americans Phil Mickelson and Brian Harman and Australian Cam Smith.

Six-time major winner and six-time US Open runner-up Mickelson, who turns 55 on Monday, needs a win to complete a career Grand Slam.

Scheffler, who won his third major title at last month's PGA Championship, starts off the first tee at 1:25 p.m. alongside fellow American Morikawa, a two-time major winner, and Norway's Hovland.

Two groups ahead of them at 1:03 p.m. will be five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, fellow American Justin Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner, and Australia's Min Woo Lee.

Going off the 10th tee at 1:14 p.m. are three past major winners -- Spaniard Jon Rahm and Americans Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson.

One group behind them at 1:25 p.m. off the 10th tee will be England's Tyrrell Hatton, South Korea's Im Sung-jae and Austrian Sepp Straka.

US amateur Matt Vogt, a 34-year-old dentist from Indianapolis who got through as a qualifier, will hit the opening tee shot at 6:45 a.m. Thursday.

J.Liv--ThChM