Tiger grouped with Mickelson, Watson at Olympic

Tiger Woods, fresh off his second PGA Tour victory of the year at the Memorial Tournament, resumes competition next Thursday in the U.S. Open Championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Woods will play the first two rounds with five-time U.S. Open runner-up Phil Mickelson and current Masters champion Bubba Watson.

The trio begins first-round play Thursday on the ninth tee of the famed Lake Course at 10:33 a.m. ET and starts its second round on the first tee Friday at 4:29 p.m. Due to the proximity of the ninth tee to the Olympic Clubhouse, the USGA has decided to send players off No. 1 and No. 9 (instead of 10) during the first two rounds.

Woods, now ranked fourth in the world, is pursuing his fourth U.S. Open title. He previously won in 2000 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.; in 2002 at Bethpage State Park in Bethpage, N.Y.; and in 2008 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif.

The last time Woods and Mickelson played together during a major championship was in the final round of the 2009 Masters. They were also paired together during the first two rounds of the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

Woods and Mickelson have played together 30 times in PGA Tour events. In those 30 rounds, Tiger holds a 14-13 score advantage, with the two players having carded the same score thrice.