PGA Championship: Rory McIlroy grouped with Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka at Kiawah Island
Collin Morikawa begins PGA Championship title defence alongside US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama; Rory McIlroy paired with Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka at Kiawah Island
By Ali Stafford
Last Updated: 18/05/21 9:08pm
Rory McIlroy has been grouped alongside Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka for the first two rounds of the 103rd PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
McIlroy ended his 18-month winless run at the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this month and arrives in South Carolina as the bookies' favourite to claim a fifth major victory, at the venue where he claimed an eight-shot victory the last time it hosted the PGA Championship in 2012.
The Northern Irishman is a two-time winner of the Wanamaker Trophy and makes up the marquee threeball alongside two other former PGA Champions, with world No 2 Thomas winning the event in 2017 and Koepka claiming back-to-back victories over 2018 and 2019.
The star-studded trio will be part of Thursday's early Featured Group coverage when they tee off at 8.33am local time (1.33pm BST), while world No 1 Dustin Johnson - who sat out of last week's AT&T Byron Nelson through injury - has been handed an afternoon tee time on the opening day alongside reigning Open champion Shane Lowry and Spain's Sergio Garcia.
Defending champion Collin Morikawa begins his title defence alongside two other current holders of major titles, with US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who became the first Asian winner of the Masters last month, completing that headline group.
Jordan Spieth has another chance to complete golf's career Grand Slam this week and plays alongside Webb Simpson and Will Zalatoris over the first two days, while 2005 champion Phil Mickelson has been grouped with former winners Jason Day and Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington.
Former world No 1 Adam Scott and England's Tyrrell Hatton will partner Rickie Fowler, playing under a special exemption after dropping outside the world's top 100, as European Ryder Cup team-mates Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood tee it up against 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed.
Watch the PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf! Live coverage begins with the opening round on Thursday May 20 from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.
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