Early start for big two

Tiger Woods and Ernie Els – and the thousands of golf fans who want to watch every blow – will have to be up early for their first round clash in the US Open next Thursday.

The world’s top two players knew they would be playing together in the opening two rounds at Olympia Fields near Chicago because they are, respectively, the defending champion and the Open champion.

But they might have hoped for more of a lie-in. They will tee off with American amateur champion Ricky Barnes on the 10th tee at 7.30am local time.

Leading European Padraig Harrington starts at 8am with Americans Justin Leonard and Charles Howell, but his bid for a first major title begins on the front nine.

Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie also have two Americans for company.

In Clarke’s case it is Ryder Cup pair Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, while Montgomerie partners Bob Estes and Scott McCarron – the player he was facing when he was heckled during last year’s Accenture world match play championship in California.

Tee-off times in the first two rounds of the United States Open golf championship at Olympia Fields, Illinois, on Thursday and Friday (USA unless stated, all times BST):

(x) denotes amateurs

1st tee Thursday, 10th tee Friday:

1300 and 1800 Chad Campbell, (x) John Holmes, Brad Elder

1310 and 1810 Greg Hiller, Sean McCarty, Roy Biancalana

1320 and 1820 Bob Tway, (x) William Haas, Joey Sindelar

1330 and 1830 Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Tom Byrum, Larry Mize

1340 and 1840 Loren Roberts, Stephen Leaney (Aus), Steve Flesch

1350 and 1850 Jesper Parnevik (Swe), Billy Mayfair, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa)

1400 and 1900 Justin Leonard, Padraig Harrington (Irl), Charles Howell

1410 and 1910 Justin Rose (Gbr), Jonathan Byrd, Adam Scott (Aus)

1420 and 1920 Jerry Kelly, Grant Waite (Nzl), Mark Calcavecchia

1430 and 1930 Retief Goosen (Rsa), Chris DiMarco, Fred Couples

1440 and 1940 Rod Pampling (Aus), Brian Gay, Jay Don Blake

1450 and 1950 Craig Bowden, (x) Luke List, Marco Dawson

1500 and 2000 Doug Labelle, Bill Lunde, Steve Gotsche

1800 and 1300 Brian Davis (Gbr), (x) Chez Reavie, Brett Quigley

1810 and 1310 Dicky Pride, Warren Schutte (Rsa), Doug Dunakey

1820 and 1320 Paul Casey (Gbr), (x) Trip Kuehne, Joe Ogilvie

1830 and 1330 Thomas Bjorn (Den), (x) Hunter Mahan, Rich Beem

1840 and 1340 Mark O’Meara, David Toms, Mike Weir (Can)

1850 and 1350 Scott Hoch, Peter Lonard (Aus), Hale Irwin

1900 and 1400 Nick Faldo (Gbr), Chris Riley, KJ Choi (Kor)

1910 and 1410 Jay Haas, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Davis Love

1920 and 1420 Tom Kite, Stuart Appleby (Aus), Joe Durant

1930 and 1430 Toru Taniguchi (Jpn), Steve Lowery, Kirk Triplett

1940 and 1440 Woody Austin, Chris Smith, Tim Petrovic

1950 and 1450 Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), John Maginnes, Brian Henninger

2000 and 1500 Geoffrey Sisk, Ryan Dillon, Alan Morin

10th tee Thursday, 1st tee Friday:

1300 and 1800 Hidemichi Tanaka (Jpn), Cliff Kresge, Tom Gillis

1310 and 1810 Ian Leggatt (Can), Dean Wilson, David Smail (Nzl)

1320 and 1820 (x) Christopher Baryla (Can), Kent Jones, Roland Thatcher

1330 and 1830 (x) Ricky Barnes, Ernie Els (Rsa), Tiger Woods

1340 and 1840 Bryce Molder, (x) Tom Glissmeyer, Sean Murphy

1350 and 1850 Vijay Singh (Fij), Rocco Mediate, Bernhard Langer (Ger)

1400 and 1900 Scott McCarron, Colin Montgomerie (Gbr), Bob Estes

1410 and 1910 Jeff Maggert, Don Pooley, Craig Parry (Aus)

1420 and 1920 Robert Allenby (Aus), Kevin Sutherland, Daniel Forsman

1430 and 1930 Brad Faxon, Tim Clark (Rsa), David Duval

1440 and 1940 Tommy Armour, Olin Browne, Spike McRoy

1450 and 1950 Maarten Lafeber (Ned), (x) Rick Reinsberg, Darron Stiles

1500 and 2000 Bret Guetz, Jason Knutzon, Cortney Brisson

1800 and 1300 Richard Johnson (Swe), JP Hayes, Robert Damron

1810 and 1310 Chris Anderson, Mark Wurtz, Rob Bradley

1820 and 1320 Neal Lancaster, Jonathan Kaye, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus)

1830 and 1330 Jim Furyk, Darren Clarke (NIrl), Phil Mickelson

1840 and 1340 Kenny Perry, Paul Lawrie (Gbr), Lee Janzen

1850 and 1350 Michael Campbell (Nzl), Corey Pavin, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa)

1900 and 1400 Stewart Cink, Nick Price (Zim), Jeff Sluman

1910 and 1410 Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn), Len Mattiace, Eduardo Romero (Arg)

1920 and 1420 John Rollins, Niclas Fasth (Swe), Dudley Hart

1930 and 1430 Angel Cabrera (Arg), Scott Verplank, Tom Watson

1940 and 1440 Billy Andrade, Alex Cejka (Ger), Fred Funk

1950 and 1450 Brandt Jobe, Jay Williamson, Bob Burns

2000 and 1500 Hiroshi Matsuo (Jpn), Anthony Arvidson, Matt Seppanen