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 11:50 a.m. ET, Round 2: No. 1 at 5:50 p.m. ET) -- 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 11:17 a.m. ET, Round 2: No. 1 at 5:17 p.m. ET) -- 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 11:39 a.m. ET, Round 2: No. 1 at 5:39 p.m. ET) -- 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 11:28 a.m. ET, Round 2: No. 1 at 5:28 p.m. ET) -- 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 10:33 a.m. ET, Round 2: No. 10 at 4:33 p.m. ET) -- 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 5:17 p.m. ET, Round 2: No. 10 at 11:17 a.m. ET) -- 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 5:28 p.m. ET, Round 2: No. 10 at 11:28 a.m. ET) -- 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 (all times Eastern):
Round 1
No. 1
10 a.m. -- Michael Putnam, Marcus Fraser, Steve Marino
10:11 a.m. -- Garth Mulroy, Richard Lee, Lucas Bjerregaard
10:22 a.m. -- Jason Allred, Kyle Jones (a), Cody Gribble
10:33 a.m. -- Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Angel Cabrera
10:44 a.m. -- Wen-Chong Liang, David Hearn, Hiroyuki Fujita
10:55 a.m. -- Robert Streb, Lee McCoy (a), TBD
11:06 a.m. -- George McNeill, Masahiro Kawamura, Cameron Tringale
11:17 a.m. -- Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, Brandt Snedeker
11:28 a.m. -- Jim Furyk, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Colin Montgomerie
11:39 a.m. -- Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Byeong-Hun An
11:50 a.m. -- Jason Dufner, Marc Warren, Matt Every
12:01 p.m. -- Brandon Hagy, Matthew NeSmith (a), Sebastian Cappelen
12:12 p.m. -- Nick Hardy (a), Alex Kim, Rich Berberian Jr.
4 p.m. -- Jason Palmer, Roberto Castro, Andres Romero
4:11 p.m. -- Denny McCarthy (a), D.A. Points, Shiv Kapur
4:22 p.m. -- Bryson DeChambeau (a), Blayne Barber, Billy Hurley III
4:33 p.m. -- Geoff Ogilvy, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen
4:44 p.m. -- Bo Van Pelt, Charlie Beljan, Tony Finau
4:55 p.m. -- Lee Janzen, Oliver Schniederjans (a), Darren Clarke
5:06 p.m. -- Daniel Summerhays, Thomas Aiken, Danny Lee
5:17 p.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose
5:28 p.m. -- Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen
5:39 p.m. -- Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter
5:50 p.m. -- Ryan Moore, Anirban Lahiri, Erik Compton
6:01 p.m. -- Jake Knapp (a), Tyler Duncan, Matt Mabrey
6:12 p.m. -- Michael Davan, Davis Riley (a), Andrew Pope
No. 10
10 a.m. -- Troy Kelly, Seuk Hyun Baek, Cameron Smith
10:11 a.m. -- John Parry, Joshua Persons, Jack Maguire (a)
10:22 a.m. -- Timothy O'Neal, Stephan Jaeger, Kurt Barnes
10:33 a.m. -- Gary Woodland, Victor Dubuisson, John Senden
10:44 a.m. -- Andy Sullivan, Morgan Hoffmann, Bernd Wiesberger
10:55 a.m. -- Marcel Siem, Alexander Levy, Brian Harman
11:06 a.m. -- Hideki Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar
11:17 a.m. -- Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia
11:28 a.m. -- Martin Kaymer, Gunn Yang (a), Rory McIlroy
11:39 a.m. -- Patrick Reed, Chris Kirk, Jamie Donaldson
11:50 a.m. -- Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Kevin Na
12:01 p.m. -- Sam Horsfield (a), Shunsuke Sonoda, Oliver Farr
12:12 p.m. -- Kevin Lucas, Pat Wilson, Cole Hammer (a)
4 p.m. -- Tom Hoge, Brad Fritsch, Tjaart van der Walt
4:11 p.m. -- Brad Elder, Beau Hossler (a), Jamie Lovemark
4:22 p.m. -- Ryo Ishikawa, Luke Donald, J.B. Holmes
4:33 p.m. -- Lucas Glover, Bradley Neil (a), Marc Leishman
4:44 p.m. -- Ryan Palmer, Joost Luiten, Danny Willett
4:55 p.m. -- Kevin Kisner, George Coetzee, Alexander Noren
5:06 p.m. -- Brendon Todd, Branden Grace, Thongchai Jaidee
5:17 p.m. -- Billy Horschel, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood
5:28 p.m. -- Bill Haas, Charl Schwartzel, Hunter Mahan
5:39 p.m. -- Shane Lowry, Ben Martin, Stephen Gallacher
5:50 p.m. -- Charley Hoffman, Camilo Villegas, Tommy Fleetwood
6:01 p.m. -- Mark Silvers, Brian Campbell (a), Cheng-Tsung Pan
6:12 p.m. -- Jimmy Gunn, Jared Becher, Samuel Saunders
Round 2
No. 1
10 a.m. -- Tom Hoge, Brad Fritsch, Tjaart van der Walt
10:11 a.m. -- Brad Elder, Beau Hossler (a), Jamie Lovemark
10:22 a.m. -- Ryo Ishikawa, Luke Donald, J.B. Holmes
10:33 a.m. -- Lucas Glover, Bradley Neil (a), Marc Leishman
10:44 a.m. -- Ryan Palmer, Joost Luiten, Danny Willett
10:55 a.m. -- George Coetzee, Alexander Noren, TBD
11:06 a.m. -- Brendon Todd, Branden Grace, Thongchai Jaidee
11:17 a.m. -- Billy Horschel, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood
11:28 a.m. -- Bill Haas, Charl Schwartzel, Hunter Mahan
11:39 a.m. -- Shane Lowry, Ben Martin, Stephen Gallacher
11:50 a.m. -- Charley Hoffman, Camilo Villegas, Tommy Fleetwood
12:01 p.m. -- Mark Silvers, Brian Campbell (a), Cheng
12:12 p.m. -- Jared Becher, Samuel Saunders, TBD
4 p.m. -- Troy Kelly, Seuk Hyun Baek, Cameron Smith
4:11 p.m. -- John Parry, Jack Maguire (a), TBD
4:22 p.m. -- Timothy O'Neal, Stephan Jaeger, Kurt Barnes
4:33 p.m. -- Gary Woodland, Victor Dubuisson, John Senden
4:44 p.m. -- Morgan Hoffmann, Bernd Wiesberger, TBD
4:55 p.m. -- Marcel Siem, Alexander Levy, Brian Harman
5:06 p.m. -- Hideki Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar
5:17 p.m. -- Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia
5:28 p.m. -- Martin Kaymer, Gunn Yang (a), Rory McIlroy
5:39 p.m. -- Patrick Reed, Chris Kirk, Jamie Donaldson
5:50 p.m. -- Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Kevin Na
6:01 p.m. -- Sam Horsfield (a), Shunsuke Sonoda, Oliver Farr
6:12 p.m. -- Kevin Lucas, Pat Wilson, Cole Hammer (a)
No. 10
10 a.m. -- Jason Palmer, Roberto Castro, Andres Romero
10:11 a.m. -- Denny McCarthy (a), D.A. Points, Shiv Kapur
10:22 a.m. -- Bryson DeChambeau (a), Blayne Barber, Billy Hurley III
10:33 a.m. -- Geoff Ogilvy, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen
10:44 a.m. -- Bo Van Pelt, Charlie Beljan, Tony Finau
10:55 a.m. -- Lee Janzen, Oliver Schniederjans (a), Darren Clarke
11:06 a.m. -- Daniel Summerhays, Thomas Aiken, Danny Lee
11:17 a.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose
11:28 a.m. -- Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen
11:39 a.m. -- Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter
11:50 a.m. -- Ryan Moore, Anirban Lahiri, Erik Compton
12:01 p.m. -- Jake Knapp (a), Tyler Duncan, Matt Mabrey
12:12 p.m. -- Michael Davan, Davis Riley (a), Andrew Pope
4 p.m. -- Michael Putnam, Marcus Fraser, TBD
4:11 p.m. -- Garth Mulroy, Richard Lee, Lucas Bjerregaard
4:22 p.m. -- Jason Allred, Kyle Jones (a), Cody Gribble
4:33 p.m. -- Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Angel Cabrera
4:44 p.m. -- Wen-Chong Liang, David Hearn, Hiroyuki Fujita
4:55 p.m. -- Robert Streb, Lee McCoy (a), TBD
5:06 p.m. -- George McNeill, Masahiro Kawamura, Cameron Tringale
5:17 p.m. -- Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, Brandt Snedeker
5:28 p.m. -- Jim Furyk, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Colin Montgomerie
5:39 p.m. -- Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Byeong-Hun An
5:50 p.m. -- Jason Dufner, Marc Warren, Matt Every
6:01 p.m. -- Brandon Hagy, Matthew NeSmith (a), Sebastian Cappelen
6:12 p.m. -- Nick Hardy (a), Alex Kim, Rich Berberian Jr.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
