Rory to start US Open tilt with Lefty and Spieth
AFTER missing out on the career grand slam at the Masters, Rory McIlroy will partner the next two players with a chance to achieve the feat in next week’s US Open. McIlroy, who needs to win at Augusta National to complete a full set of major titles, will play alongside Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth in the first two rounds at Shinnecock Hills, starting at 1.02pm Irish time next Thursday. Mickelson, who has finished runner-up a record six times, can complete the grand slam with victory in the US Open, while Spieth’s missing major is the US PGA Championship. Defending champion Brooks Koepka is also among the early starters on the opening day, alongside two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and former world number one Jason Day. They are followed later by an all-English group of Tyrrell Hatton, Danny Willett and Ian Poulter, while Masters champion Patrick Reed tees off at the same time from the 10th alongside Zach Johnson and Charl Schwartzel. Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Rafa Cabrera Bello make up an all-Spanish group on Thursday, with world number one Justin Thomas, 2016 champion Dustin Johnson and 14-time major winner Tiger Woods getting their tournament under way at 6.47pm Irish time). Meanwhile, Seamus Power fired his way to the top of the leaderboard at the FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis with a superb opening round of 65. The Waterford man could have been forgiven for looking off the pace given his Herculean efforts on Monday when he played 36 holes in US qualifying but ended up with just an alternate spot and the hope that someone withdraws. However, he was in sizzling form yesterday in Memphis to finish on five under, ahead of a clutch of players including Phil Mickelson. After a promising start, Pádraig Harrington finished with two bogeys to end up on two over while Shane Lowry had a round of 72.