7 Jun 2014

Scott, Watson and Schwartzel grouped for US Open

11:34 am on 7 June 2014

World golf number one Adam Scott and fellow major winners Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel will form an eye-catching grouping for the first two rounds of next week's US Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Australian Scott, American Watson, who has earned the coveted Masters green jacket twice in the past three years, and South African Schwartzel will start Friday's opening round at Pinehurst off the first tee.

The heavyweight trio will then set off from the 10th tee in Saturday's second round.

Scott, who will be seeking his second major title after clinching his first at last year's Masters, is among the favourites for the June 12-15 championship at Pinehurst's No. 2 Course after winning four times in his last 17 starts worldwide.

For the first time in four years, organisers avoided the temptation to put the top three players in the world rankings together, a popular ploy that had generated plenty of hype and attracted huge galleries during previous US Opens.

While top-ranked Scott and world number three Watson have been grouped together, second-ranked Swede Henrik Stenson will play the first two rounds in the company of American Matt Kuchar, who's fifth, and England's Lee Westwood, a former world number one.

In keeping with tradition, tournament officials have placed defending champion Justin Rose of England in the same group as the British Open champion and the reigning US Amateur winner.