Rory McIlroy has been grouped with Masters champion Danny Willett and close pal Rickie Fowler while Shane Lowry has been handed a date with Chris Kirk and straight-hitting Argentinian Emiliano Grillo for the first two rounds of next week's US Open at Oakmont.

As 2010 champion Graeme McDowell goes out in the afternoon and morning respectively with former winners Webb Simpson and Geoff Ogilvy late on day one, McIlroy and Lowry will be among the early starters.

Champion in 2011, McIlroy goes off the first at 8:24 a.m.(1324 Irish time) on Thursday and from the 10th at 2:09 p.m on Friday (1909 Irish time). Lowry then follows in the next match at 8:35 a.m. (1335) and 2:20 p.m. (1920). 

The marquee groups include world No 1 Jason Day with Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott while defending champion Jordan Spieth will be with Open champion Zach Johnson and rookie professional Bryson DeChambeau, last year's US Amateur champion but a qualifier last week have forfeited his exemption by turing pro.

Starting Times for 116th U.S. Open Championship, June 16-19, 2016, Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

www.usopen.com

#USOpen; twitter.com/usopengolf; facebook.com/USOpen; instagram.com/usopengolf

twitter.com/USGA; facebook.com/USGA; Instagram.com/USGA

OAKMONT, Pa. (June 10, 2016) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the 2016 U.S. Open Championship, Thursday (June 16) and Friday (June 17), at 7,219-yard, par-70 Oakmont Country Club.

The U.S. Open is a 72-hole, stroke-play competition. A field of 156 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on June 16 and 17, after which the field will be reduced to the low 60 scores and ties. Those players making the cut will play 18 holes on June 18 and 19. If there is a tie upon the completion of 72 holes, a scheduled 18-hole playoff will be played on June 20 at noon. If this playoff results in a tie, the tied players will immediately continue to play off hole-by-hole until the winner is determined.

All Times EDT

Thursday (June 16), hole #1 / Friday (June 17), hole #10

6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Denny McCarthy, Jupiter, Fla.; Aron Price, Australia; Mikael Lundberg, Sweden

6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – (a) Nick Hardy, Northbrook, Ill.; TBD; Tom Hoge, Fargo, N.D.

7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Singer Island, Fla.; (a) Sam Horsfield, England; Andrew Johnston, England

7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – Justin Hicks, Wellington, Fla.; Soren Hansen, Denmark; Jason Allred, Scottsdale, Ariz.

7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – Romain Wattel, France; Sung Kang, Republic of Korea; Yusaku Miyazato, Japan

7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – Bernd Wiesberger, Austria; Matteo Manassero, Italy; Daniel Berger, Jupiter, Fla.

7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Sea Island, Ga.; Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Patrick Reed, Houston, Texas

8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain; J.B. Holmes, Campbellsville, Ky.; Kevin Chappell, Fresno, Calif.

8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Matthew Fitzpatrick, England; Danny Lee, New Zealand; Byeong Hun An, Republic of Korea

8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Danny Willett, England; Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.

8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Chris Kirk, Athens, Ga.; Emiliano Grillo, Argentina; Shane Lowry, Republic of Ireland

8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – Mike Miller, Brewster, N.Y.; Matthew Borchert, Windermere, Fla.; (a) Charlie Danielson, Osceola, Wis.

8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – Chase Parker, Augusta, Ga.; (a) Ryan Stachler, Alpharetta, Ga.; Patrick Wilkes-Krier, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Thursday (June 16), hole #10 / Friday (June 17), hole #1

6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Andres Gonzales, Lakewood, Wash.; (a) Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas; Derek Fathauer, Jupiter, Fla.

6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – Andrew Landry, Austin, Texas; Matthew Baldwin, England; D.J. Trahan, Plano, Texas

7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Rob Oppenheim, Andover, Mass.; Dicky Pride, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Wes Short Jr., Austin, Texas

7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Sea Island, Ga.; Yuta Ikeda, Japan; David Lingmerth, Sweden

7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – Hideto Tanihara, Japan; Gregory Bourdy, France; Kevin Streelman, Scottsdale, Ariz.

7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – (a) Jon Rahm, Spain; James Hahn, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Robert Streb, Shawnee, Kan.

7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Thomas Aiken, South Africa; Jeff Maggert, Sea Pines, S.C.; David Toms, Shreveport, La.

8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Marc Leishman, Australia; Jimmy Walker, Boerne, Texas; Paul Casey, England

8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Lee Westwood, England; Luke Donald, England; Martin Kaymer, Germany

8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Russell Knox, Scotland; Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.; Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.

8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Bryson DeChambeau, Clovis, Calif.; Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas

8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – TBD; Gregor Main, Danville, Calif.; Mark Anguiano, Whittier, Calif.

8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – (a) Kyle Mueller, Athens, Ga.; Derek Chang, Dallas, Texas; Richie Schembechler, Massillon, Ohio

Thursday (June 16), hole #1 / Friday (June 17), hole #10

12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Peter Hanson, Sweden; Tim Wilkinson, New Zealand; Thitiphun Chuayprakong, Thailand

12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – Billy Hurley III, Annapolis, Md.; Jeev Milkha Singh, India; J.J. Henry, Ft. Worth, Texas

12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – Brendan Steele, Idyllwild, Calif.; Soren Kjeldsen, Denmark; Jaco Van Zyl, South Africa

1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – Anirban Lahiri, India; Scott Piercy, Las Vegas, Nev.; Jamie Donaldson, Wales

1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – Spencer Levin, Sacramento, Calif.; Toru Taniguchi, Japan; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico

1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Ryan Moore, Las Vegas, Nev.; Andrew Sullivan, England; Charley Hoffman, San Diego, Calif.

1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Dustin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Geoff Ogilvy, Australia

1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Ernie Els, South Africa; Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Angel Cabrera, Argentina

2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thailand; K.T. Kim, Republic of Korea; Kevin Na, Las Vegas, Nev.

2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – Jason Day, Australia; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa; Adam Scott, Australia

2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – Aaron Wise, Lake Elsinore, Calif.; Ethan Tracy, Galloway, Ohio; Brandon Harkins, Scottsdale, Ariz.

2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – (a) Justin Suh, San Jose, Calif.; T.J. Howe, Osceola, Pa.; Frank Adams III, Salisbury, N.C.

Thursday (June 16), hole #10 / Friday (June 17), hole #1

12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Lee Slattery, England; Miguel Tabuena, Philippines; TBD

12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – Sebastian Soderberg, Sweden; TBD; Kent Bulle, Glasgow, Ky.

12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – TBD; Alex Noren, Sweden; Jason Kokrak, Charlotte, N.C.

1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – Max Kieffer, Germany; Gary Stal, France; Kevin Tway, Edmond, Okla.

1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – Cameron Smith, Australia; Steven Bowditch, Australia; (a) Derek Bard, New Hartford, N.Y.

1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Jim Herman, Palm City, Fla.; Smylie Kaufman, Birmingha.m., Ala.; TBD

1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Brandt Snedeker, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.; Billy Horschel, St. Augustine, Fla.

1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Chris Wood, England; Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky.

1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C.; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Branden Grace, South Africa

2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Justin Rose, England; Henrik Stenson, Sweden

2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – Retief Goosen, South Africa; Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.; Lucas Glover, Tequesta, Fla.

2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – Andy Pope, Orlando, Fla.; (a) Sam Burns, Shreveport, La.; Matt Marshall, Carlton, Ore.

2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – Tyler Raber, Davis, Calif.; (a) Christopher Crawford, Bensalem, Pa.; Austin Jordan, Rainbow, Texas

(a): amateur

TBD - Player to be determined

2016 U.S. Open Championship – Par & Yardage

Oakmont Country Club will set up at 7,219 yards and will play to a par of 35-35—70. The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions.