The 2019 United States Open will get under way Thursday from Pebble Beach, CA. This will be the fifth time the tournament will be played at the magnificent course in northern California. Previous champions include Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tom Watson (1982), Tom Kite (1992), Tiger Woods (2000) and Graeme McDowell (2010). When Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open he beat his nearest competitors, Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez by a remarkable 15 strokes.
As the players tee off on Thursday here are the five most fascinating threesomes. (All times pacific).
5) 1:47 PM–Francesco Molinari/Viktor Hovland/Brooks Koepka–The question from this threesome is simple. Can Koepka have what it takes to be the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Opens since Willie Anderson accomplished the feat from 1902-1904? If the PGA Championship last month in New York was any indication, he does. Koepka, who is ranked first in the world, had an outstanding first three days last month at Bethpage Black before hanging on to beat Dustin Johnson by two strokes. Molinari meanwhile is the reigning British Open champion and Hovland is the best amateur golfer in the world whose claim to fame was winning the 2018 U.S. Amateur, interestingly also at Pebble Beach.
4) 8:13 AM–Dustin Johnson/Phil Mickelson/Graeme McDowell–In this threesome of major champions, Johnson, who is ranked second in the world, won the U.S. Open in 2016 at Oakmont, McDowell won the U.S. Open the last time it took place at Pebble Beach, and Mickelson, a five-time major winner as he has won three Masters, one PGA Championship and one British Open. However the one major that has alluded Mickelson has interestingly been the U.S. Open, where he has finished second six times. Back in February, Mickelson won his fifth career Pebble Beach Pro-Am at age 48.
3) 7:51 AM–Rory McIlroy/Jon Rahm/Marc Leishman–In the most fascinating all-international threesome, McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, will try to continue his excellent 2019 season. Last week he shot a four round score of -22 in a very deep field at the Canadian Open in Hamilton, Ontario. Currently ranked third in the world, McIlroy also won the Players Championship in March, and has won four career major titles (2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship and 2014 British Open). Jon Rahm of Spain, is considered one of golf’s rising stars who can bomb the golf ball off the tee. Meanwhile, Australia’s Marc Leishman has won four times on the PGA Tour and finished in the top five in majors on two separate occasions.
2) 1:47 PM–Webb Simpson/Adam Scott/Matt Kuchar–Simpson and Scott are both major winners. Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco and Scott won the 2013 Masters. Kuchar has won twice this season on the PGA Tour (wins in Mexico and Hawaii) and at age 40 seems to be playing the best golf of his career.
1)2:09 PM–Tiger Woods/Justin Rose/Jordan Spieth–In the most fascinating threesome at the 2019 United States Open you have Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion (including the three-time U.S. Open champ and 2019 Masters champ) against Justin Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist, and Jordan Spieth, the three-time major champion (2015 Masters, 2015 U.S. Open and 2017 British Open). All the cameras will be on Woods as he tries to inch closer to Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles.
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