Major Winners Grouped Together At USPGA

The three Major champions thus far in 2006 have been grouped together for the first and second rounds of the 88th USPGA Championship at the Medinah Country Club near Chicago in Illinois. It will ensure an fascinating start to the latest race to secure the famous old Wanamaker Trophy (pictured).

Americans Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are the top two players in the world and the Masters and Open champions respectively. The two players, who have a well-publicised strained relationship, will be joined by the US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia for the first two rounds. Mickelson is the defending champion and Woods is a two-time winner of the event - wins that include a triumph at Medinah in 1999. It is a trio that is sure to attract enormous galleries of fans and media alike when they begin Thursday's first round at 14:30 BST.

Other standout groups include Spain's Sergio Garcia being drawn with Fred Couples and Ernie Els, while three former champions have also been grouped together. John Daly, Vijay Singh and Jeff Sluman will all tee off at 19:35 BST on Thursday.

The final Major championship of the year is even more hotly anticipated than usual, due to its proximity to the forthcoming Ryder Cup contest between the USA and Europe in Ireland. The tournament represents the final chance for American players to accumulate ranking points before captain Tom Lehman's team is finalised. The European team have a further two weeks to earn points, but the extra points on offer at Medinah, due its Major status, make it no less crucial for those looking to make Ian Woosnam's team.

88th USPGA Championship

Medinah, Illinois

First and Second Round Tee Times (all BST)

Designated tee, start time and grouping:

1 1300 10 1805 M Small, R Palmer, A Andres (Arg)

1 1310 10 1815 S Flesch, G Bisconti, A Hansen (Den)

1 1320 10 1825 T Purdy, J Kane, C Schwartzel (SA)

1 1330 10 1835 P Perez, C Howell, J Sindelar

1 1340 10 1845 J Kelly, H Slocum, P Harrington (Ire)

1 1350 10 1855 C Barlow, M Weir (Can), T Hamilton

1 1400 10 1905 L Glover, R Allenby (Aus), T Immelman (SA)

1 1410 10 1915 SK Ho (Kor), B Wetterich, JM Olazabal (Spa)

1 1420 10 1925 Z Johnson, B Curtis, P Lonard (Aus)

1 1430 10 1935 KJ Choi (Kor), R Pampling (Aus), T Herron

1 1440 10 1945 G Owen (Eng), T Weinhart, G Fernandez-Castano (Spa)

1 1450 10 1955 C Starkjohann, J Edfors (Swe), TBA

1 1500 10 2005 S Khan (Eng), S Arnold, B Mayfair

10 1300 1 1805 B Van Pelt, M Brown, D Wilson

10 1310 1 1815 K Ferrie (Eng), J Aber, H Tanihara (Jap)

10 1320 1 1825 MA Jimenez (Spa), T Clark (SA), T Pernice

10 1330 1 1835 R Beem, S Elkington (Aus), D Toms

10 1340 1 1845 F Funk, S Cink, T Bjorn (Den)

10 1350 1 1855 R Goosen (SA), C Campbell, D Duval

10 1400 1 1905 M Calcavecchia, L Donald (Eng), V Taylor

10 1410 1 1915 M Campbell (NZ), C DiMarco, L Westwood (Eng)

10 1420 1 1925 JJ Henry, G McDowell (NIre), A Baddeley (Aus)

10 1430 1 1935 P Mickleson, T Woods, G Ogilvy (Aus)

10 1440 1 1945 J Senden, N Dougherty (Eng), S Verplank

10 1450 1 1955 B Faxon, D Yrene, C Villegas (Col)

10 1500 1 2005 S Schneiter, B Dredge (Wal), B Crane

1 1805 10 1300 N Green (Aus), L Rinker, R Johnson (Swe)

1 1815 10 1310 K Mitchum, J Parnevik (Swe), B Jobe

1 1825 10 1320 A Oberholser, J Gore, B Bryant

1 1835 10 1330 A Scott (Aus), K Perry, R Sabbatini (SA)

1 1845 10 1340 S Micheel, B Tway, D Love

1 1855 10 1350 J Furyk, A Cabrera (Arg), S Maruyama (Jap)

1 1905 10 1400 T Lehman, D Howell (Eng), R Gamez

1 1915 10 1410 S Garcia (Spa), F Couples, E Els (SA)

1 1925 10 1420 C Montgomerie (Sco), S Appleby (Aus), JB Holmes

1 1935 10 1430 J Daly, J Sluman, V Singh (Fij)

1 1945 10 1440 C Pavin, B Langer (Ger), J Rollins

1 1955 10 1450 S Lowery, A Schulte, R Green (Aus)

1 2005 10 1500 C Wiemers, M Hensby (Aus), S Stricker

10 1805 1 1300 W Austin, C Thomas, J Rose (Eng)

10 1815 1 1310 S Dodd (Wal), C Sullivan, J Bohn

10 1825 1 1320 W Short, C Riley, H Stenson (Swe)

10 1835 1 1330 L Nelson, R Philo, W Grady (Aus)

10 1845 1 1340 O Browne, TBA, S O'Hair

10 1855 1 1350 P Casey (Eng), J Leonard, N Fasth (Swe)

10 1905 1 1400 J Maggert, R Karlsson (Swe), K Triplett

10 1915 1 1410 D Hart, N O'Hern (Aus), I Poulter (Eng)

10 1925 1 1420 P Azinger, M Brooks, N Price (SA)

10 1935 1 1430 S Ames (Can), C Pettersson (Swe), C Couch

10 1945 1 1440 J Bickerton (Eng), B Quigley, B Evans

10 1955 1 1450 J Haas, P Broadhurst (Eng), J Haas

10 2005 1 1500 A Wall (Eng), J Cranford, A Buckle (Aus)