Woods, Spieth, Rose grouped for first two rounds of U.S. Open

[June 07, 2019]  (Reuters) - Tiger Woods has been grouped with two other former U.S. Open champions, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose, for the first two rounds of next week's championship at Pebble Beach.

Americans Woods and Spieth and Englishman Rose will tee off at 2.09 p.m. local time (2109 GMT) in the first round next Thursday at the famous course on the California coast.

Woods has won three U.S. Opens, including a record 15-stroke triumph at Pebble Beach in 2000.

Rose was the 2013 champion at Merion, while Spieth triumphed two years later at Chambers Bay.

Two groups ahead of Woods, Spieth and Rose, two-times defending U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka will play with Italian Francesco Molinari and amateur Viktor Hovland.

Norwegian Hovland won last year's U.S. Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach.

Early-arriving fans next Thursday will have no shortage of choice for big names to watch.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy starts his quest to end his five-year major drought at 7.51 a.m., teeing off at the 10th hole with Spaniard Jon Rahm and Australian Marc Leishman.

Tiger Woods and his caddie Joe LaCava stand on the 2nd fairway during the final round of the 2019 Memorial golf tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Two groups later, Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion at Pebble Beach, will play with 2016 champion Dustin Johnson and six-times runner-up Phil Mickelson, who needs a victory to complete the career grand slam.

Tee times are switched for the second round, so those who play early on Thursday go out late on Friday, and vice-versa.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Ed Osmond)

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