Sawt Falasteen - No.1 Scheffler joins Spaun, Howell to start US Open quest

Scheffler, trying to complete a career Grand Slam with a victory at Shinnecock for his 30th birthday on Sunday, starts off the first tee at 8:14 a.m. (1214 GMT) Thursday in the all-American trio.

Two-time Masters winner Scheffler, who captured last year's PGA Championship and British Open titles, tries to become only the seventh male golfer to complete the career Slam and the first since second-ranked Rory McIlroy last year.

McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, also makes an early start, going off the 10th tee at 7:52 a.m. alongside Sweden's Ludvig Aberg and England's Tommy Fleetwood.

The group just ahead of McIlroy's trio, going off 11 minutes earlier, features England's Tyrrell Hatton, South Korean Kim Si-woo and American Sam Burns.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who won the US Open the last time it was played at Shinnecock in 2018, starts off the first tee Thursday at 7:30 a.m. with Americans Chris Gotterup and third-ranked Cameron Young.

Three major winners start from the first tee at 1:47 p.m. -- Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Americans Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele.

England's Aaron Rai, who won last month's PGA Championship for his first major victory, tees off at the 10th hole at 1:14 p.m. alongside Australian Jason Day and American Collin Morikawa.

In the group just after them are former US Open winners Bryson DeChambeau and Matt Fitzpatrick, alongside Norway's Viktor Hovland.

Z.Ramadan--SF-PST