For a second straight year, the discussion in the early days of U.S. Open week won’t just be about the favorites to win the national championship but also the future of professional golf. The surprise announcement of a framework deal between the PGA Tour, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour will no doubt be the talk of the driving range as players from LIV Golf League join their former fellow pros from the other tours will be teeing it up at Los Angeles Country Club.
Recall that a year ago at The Country Club, LIV Golf’s inaugural event had just been contested, and the pre-major talk was about what impact the upstart Saudi-funded circuit would have on the game.
While the same holds true this week, this year’s Masters and PGA Championship helped defuse the idea that there might be bitterness between players on the rival circuits. The storyline of LIV vs. the PGA Tour played out mostly in just which group of players might perform better in the two majors. It remains a question now, too, whether the more spread out schedule LIV golfers play might help them be better prepared compared to PGA Tour players who have competed already in 10 designated events or majors since the start of the year.
Whether the USGA pairs any of the 15 LIV golfers in the field with PGA Tour pros is also far less of a concern than a year ago, yet it was a curiosity when the tee times were released on Monday afternoon. And, indeed, some of the high profile player on both circuits have been put together, along with the USGA’s annual sassy pairings.
So what here’s what in store for this year at LACC? Check out the threesomees for the first and second round.
Deon Germishuys, South Africa
Jacob Solomon, Auburn, Ala.
Ryan Gerard, Raleigh, N.C.
(a) Michael Brennan, Leesburg, Va.
Hayden Buckley, Tupelo, Miss.
Carson Young, Anderson, S.C.
Kevin Streelman, Wheaton, Ill.
Shane Lowry, Republic of Ireland
Justin Thomas, Louisville, Ky.
Sungjae Im, Republic of Korea
KH Lee, Republic of Korea
JT Poston, Sea Island, Ga.
Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan.
Collin Morikawa, La Cañada Flintridge, Calif.;
Max Homa, Valencia, Calif.
Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas
Denny McCarthy, Jupiter, Fla.
Joel Dahmen, Clarkston, Wash.
(a) Matthew McClean, Northern Ireland
Seamus Power, Republic of Ireland
Mac Meissner, Dallas, Texas
(a) Barclay Brown, England
Gunn Charoenkul, Thailand
(a) Alexander Yang, Hong Kong, China
Jesse Schutte, Florence, Ore.
Andy Svoboda, Milford, Conn.
Brent Grant, Honolulu, Hawaii
Charley Hoffman, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
(a) Maxwell Moldovan, Uniontown, Ohio
Eric Cole, Delray Beach, Fla.
Thriston Lawrence, South Africa
Adam Schenk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Wilco Nienaber, South Africa
Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.
Wyndham Clark, Denver, Colo.
Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla.
Kurt Kitayama, Chico, Calif.
Russell Henley, Columbus, Ga.
Sam Bennett, Madisonville, Texas
Matt Fitzpatrick, England
Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Brian Harman, Sea Island, Ga.
Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland
Sebastián Muñoz, Colombia
Taylor Montgomery, Las Vegas, Nev.
Olin Browne Jr., Hobe Sound, Fla.
(a) Karl Vilips, Australia
Corey Pereira, Cameron Park, Calif.
(a) Isaac Simmons, Huddleston, Va.
Berry Henson, La Quinta, Calif.
Hank Lebioda, Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Michael Kim, Addison, Texas
(a) Wenyi Ding, People’s Republic of China
Scott Stallings, Oak Ridge, Tenn
(a) Preston Summerhays, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Patrick Rodgers, Avon, Ind.
Ryan Armour, Silver Lake, Ohio
Aaron Wise, Jupiter, Fla.
(a) Gordon Sargent, Birmingham, Ala.
Bryson DeChambeau, Clovis, Calif.
Francesco Molinari, Italy
Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.
Patrick Reed, The Woodlands, Texas
Matt Kuchar, Jupiter, Fla.
Si Woo Kim, Republic of Korea
Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif.
Stewart Cink, Atlanta, Ga.
(a) Michael Thorbjornsen, Wellesley, Mass.
(a) Brendan Valdes, Orlando, Fla.
Jordan Gumberg, Delray Beach, Fla.
Kyle Mueller, Athens, Ga.
Nico Echavarria, Colombia
Paul Haley II, Dallas, Texas
(a) Nick Dunlap, Northport, Ala.
Nick Hardy, Northbrook, Ill.
Sam Stevens, Wichita, Kan.
(a) Aldrich Potgieter, South Africa
Andrew Putnam, University Place, Wash.
Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Padraig Harrington, Republic of Ireland
Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.
Emiliano Grillo, Argentina
(a) Mateo Fernandez De Oliveira, Argentina
Tom Kim, Republic of Korea
Sahith Theegala, Houston, Texas
Cameron Young, Jupiter, Fla.
Sam Burns, Shreveport, La.
Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.
Keith Mitchell, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas
Patrick Cantlay, Jupiter, Fla.
Davis Thompson, St. Simons Island, Ga.
Justin Suh, Las Vegas, Nev.
Taylor Moore, Trophy Club, Texas
(a) Ben Carr, Columbus, Ga.
Patrick Cover, Charlotte, N.C.
(a) David Nyfjäll, Sweden
Frankie Capan III, North Oaks, Minn.
Austen Truslow, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
(a) Christian Cavaliere, Katonah, N.Y.
Alex Schaake, Omaha, Neb.
Nico Echavarria, Colombia
Paul Haley II, Dallas, Texas
(a) Nick Dunlap, Northport, Ala.;
Nick Hardy, Northbrook, Ill.
Sam Stevens, Wichita, Kan.
(a) Aldrich Potgieter, South Africa
Andrew Putnam, University Place, Wash.
Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Padraig Harrington, Republic of Ireland
Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.
Emiliano Grillo, Argentina
(a) Mateo Fernandez De Oliveira, Argentina
Tom Kim, Republic of Korea
Sahith Theegala, Houston, Texas
Cameron Young, Jupiter, Fla.
Sam Burns, Shreveport, La.
Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.
Keith Mitchell, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas
Patrick Cantlay, Jupiter, Fla.
Davis Thompson, St. Simons Island, Ga.
Justin Suh, Las Vegas, Nev.
Taylor Moore, Trophy Club, Texas
(a) Ben Carr, Columbus, Ga.
Patrick Cover, Charlotte, N.C.
(a) David Nyfjäll, Sweden
Frankie Capan III, North Oaks, Minn.
Austen Truslow, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
(a) Christian Cavaliere, Katonah, N.Y.
Alex Schaake, Omaha, Neb.
Berry Henson, La Quinta, Calif.
Hank Lebioda, Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Michael Kim, Addison, Texas
(a) Wenyi Ding, People’s Republic of China
Scott Stallings, Oak Ridge, Tenn
(a) Preston Summerhays, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Patrick Rodgers, Avon, Ind.
Ryan Armour, Silver Lake, Ohio
Aaron Wise, Jupiter, Fla.
(a) Gordon Sargent, Birmingham, Ala.
Bryson DeChambeau, Clovis, Calif.
Francesco Molinari, Italy
Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.
Patrick Reed, The Woodlands, Texas
Matt Kuchar, Jupiter, Fla.
Si Woo Kim, Republic of Korea
Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif.
Stewart Cink, Atlanta, Ga.
(a) Michael Thorbjornsen, Wellesley, Mass.
(a) Brendan Valdes, Orlando, Fla.
Jordan Gumberg, Delray Beach, Fla.
Kyle Mueller, Athens, Ga.
Brent Grant, Honolulu, Hawaii
Charley Hoffman, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
(a) Maxwell Moldovan, Uniontown, Ohio
Eric Cole, Delray Beach, Fla.
Thriston Lawrence, South Africa
Adam Schenk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Wilco Nienaber, South Africa
Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.
Wyndham Clark, Denver, Colo.
Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla.
Kurt Kitayama, Chico, Calif.
Russell Henley, Columbus, Ga.
Sam Bennett, Madisonville, Texas
Matt Fitzpatrick, England
Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Brian Harman, Sea Island, Ga.
Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland
Sebastián Muñoz, Colombia
Taylor Montgomery, Las Vegas, Nev.
Olin Browne Jr., Hobe Sound, Fla.
(a) Karl Vilips, Australia
Corey Pereira, Cameron Park, Calif.
(a) Isaac Simmons, Huddleston, Va.
Deon Germishuys, South Africa
Jacob Solomon, Auburn, Ala.
Ryan Gerard, Raleigh, N.C.
(a) Michael Brennan, Leesburg, Va.
Hayden Buckley, Tupelo, Miss.
Carson Young, Anderson, S.C.
Kevin Streelman, Wheaton, Ill.
Shane Lowry, Republic of Ireland
Justin Thomas, Louisville, Ky.
Sungjae Im, Republic of Korea
KH Lee, Republic of Korea
JT Poston, Sea Island, Ga.
Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan.
Collin Morikawa, La Cañada Flintridge, Calif.;
Max Homa, Valencia, Calif.
Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas
Denny McCarthy, Jupiter, Fla.
Joel Dahmen, Clarkston, Wash.
(a) Matthew McClean, Northern Ireland
Seamus Power, Republic of Ireland
Mac Meissner, Dallas, Texas
(a) Barclay Brown, England
Gunn Charoenkul, Thailand
(a) Alexander Yang, Hong Kong, China
Jesse Schutte, Florence, Ore.
Andy Svoboda, Milford, Conn.