Golf

Rory McIlroy to begin US Open alongside Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele

McIlroy’s last major victory came in the 2014 US PGA

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 11: Scottie Scheffler of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shake hands on the 18th green during the first round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will play the first two rounds of the 124th US Open together, teeing off at 6.14pm Irish time on Thursday (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy will play the first two rounds of the 124th US Open together.

The world’s top three players will tee off at 1314 local time (1814 BST) on Thursday in the year’s third major championship at Pinehurst.

Scheffler won his second Masters title in three years at Augusta National in April and claimed his fifth victory of the season in the Memorial Tournament on Sunday, while Schauffele won his maiden major in the US PGA last month.

McIlroy’s last major victory came in the 2014 US PGA, which was then staged in August.

Tom McKibbin has an early start on Thursday, teeing off in the second group of the day at 6.45am local time, 1.45pm Irish time. The Holywood man is playing in his first major and will be in a group with Italy’s Matteo Manassero and Rico Hoey of the Philippines.

2019 Open champion Shane Lowry tees off shortly after McIlroy’s group at 6.47pm Irish time, alongside fellow former major winners Keegan Bradley and Martin Kaymer.

Seamus Power tees off in the fourth group of the day at 6.56am local time, with South Africa’s Dean Burmester and Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the title at Brookline in 2022, has been drawn with 15-time major winner Tiger Woods and American Will Zalatoris, with the trio getting under way at 0729 local time (1229 BST) on Thursday.

Woods made a record 24th consecutive cut in the Masters in April but then carded rounds of 82 and 77 to finish last. The 48-year-old also missed the cut in the US PGA in his only other competitive start in 2024.

Wyndham Clark will get the defence of his title under way at 1325 local time (1825 BST) alongside Open champion Brian Harman and Nick Dunlap, while Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre has the late/early split he was hoping for in order to be able to watch Scotland’s Euro 2024 clash with Germany on Friday.

MacIntyre, who won the RBC Canadian Open at the start of the month, will have Canadian duo Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes for company at 1303 local time (1803 BST) on Thursday and 0718 (1218) on Friday.