The world's top three players Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer form the marquee group in the US Open.
Top three players in the world playing together at Congressional
The world's top three players and last three world number one's Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer will form the marquee group for the first two rounds of the US Open.
Less than a month after Donald beat Westwood in a play-off to win the BMW PGA Championship and claim the world number one spot, the two Englishmen will clash again in the second major of the year.
Westwood, who has just been awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours, will hope to finally break his major duck at the US Open being held at Congressional Country Club in Maryland.
World number three Kaymer will partner the top two in the world in what is the stand-out grouping for the first two rounds of the event - with the German already a major winner after taking home the USPGA title last year.
Defending champion Graeme McDowell is an early starter on Friday, teeing off at 7.55am local time alongside Louis Oosthuizen and top amateur Peter Uihlein.
Traditional group
The Northern Irishman, who won at Pebble Beach last year, is in the traditional group containing reigning Open champion Oosthuizen and US Amateur winner Uihlein.
Rory McIlroy will be back in the major mix hoping to erase the painful memories from his Masters meltdown, and he will be in good company being partnered by Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
Mickelson has four majors to his name but no US Open titles after finishing second five times, while Johnson will be joining McIlroy in a bid for redemption after the American blew a three-shot lead at Pebble Beach 12 months ago.
The USGA have also handed top Europeans groups based on nationalities, with qualifier Sergio Garcia playing alongside fellow Spaniards Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros and Swedes Fredrik Jacobson, Henrik Stenson and Johan Edfors all paired together.
Ryder Cup-winning Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari play together and they could be just what teenage sensation Mattwo Manassero needs to settle his nerves as he looks to burst onto the major scene.
Masters champion Charl Schwartzel will play with fellow South African Trevor Immelman and American Zach Johnson in a group containing three Augusta National winners.
Another South African, Ernie Els, who won the US Open on the tournament's last visit to Congressional back in 1997, has been partnered with American fellow major-winners Davis Love III and Jim Furyk.
