The 2010 U.S. Open Pairings...

And as always you're more than welcome to nominate your choice for the annual $#@%& pairing or any other intriguing groupings.

2010 U. S. Open Championship
June 17-20, 2010
Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links
 
Far Hills, N.J. – Groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open Thursday (June 17) and Friday (June 18) at the par 35-36—71, 7,040-yard, Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. (A=amateur)
 
All Times PDT
 
Thursday (June 17), hole #1; Friday (June 18), hole #10
 
            7:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Deane Pappas, South Africa; Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan.; Paul Sheehan, Australia
            7:11 a.m. - 12:41 p.m. - Steve Marino, Tequesta, Fla.; Gregory Havret, France; Charles Warren, Greenville, S.C.
            7:22 a.m. - 12:52 p.m. - Toru Taniguchi, Japan; Soren Hansen, Denmark; Edoardo Molinari, Italy
            7:33 a.m. - 1:03 p.m. - Francesco Molinari, Italy; Soren Kjeldsen, Denmark; Hiroyuki Fujita, Japan
            7:44 a.m. - 1:14 p.m. - Tim Clark, South Africa; K. J. Choi, Korea; Mike Weir, Canada
            7:55 a.m. – 1:25 p.m. - Adam Scott, Australia; Geoff Ogilvy, Australia; Robert Allenby, Australia
            8:06 a.m. - 1:36 p.m. - Matt Kuchar, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Justin Leonard, Dallas, Texas; Scott Verplank, Edmond, Okla.
            8:17 a.m. - 1:47 p.m. - Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.; A-Byeong-Hun An, Korea; Lucas Glover, Simpsonville, S.C.
            8:28 a.m. - 1:58 p.m. - Ian Poulter, England; Yuta Ikeda, Japan; Henrik Stenson, Sweden
            8:39 a.m. - 2:09 p.m. Trevor Immelman, South Africa; Robert Karlsson, Sweden; David Toms, Shreveport, La.
            8:50 a.m. - 2:20 p.m. - Jason Gore, Valencia, Calif.; Arjun Atwal, India; Jim Herman, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
            9:01 a.m. – 2:31 p.m. - A-Andrew Putnam, University Place, Wash.; Ty Tryon, Orlando, Fla.; Hugo Leon, Chile
            9:12 a.m. - 2:42 p.m. - Kent Eger, Canada; A-Alex Martin, Liberty Twp., Ohio; Jon Curran, Hopkinton, Mass.
 
Thursday (June 17), hole #10; Friday (June 18), hole #1
 
            7:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Rafael Cabrera - Bello, Spain; John Mallinger, Long Beach, Calif.; Stephen Allan, Australia
            7:11 a.m. - 12:41 p.m. - Mikko Ilonen, Finland; Derek Lamely, Ft. Myers, Fla.; James Morrison, England
            7:22 a.m. - 12:52 p.m. - Brian Gay, Windermere, Fla.; Simon Khan, England; Bo Van Pelt, Tulsa, Okla.
            7:33 a.m. - 1:03 p.m. - Camilo Villegas, Colombia; Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Luke Donald, England
            7:44 a.m. - 1:14 p.m. - Retief Goosen, South Africa; Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Angel Cabrera, Argentina
            7:55 a.m. – 1:25 p.m. - Stuart Appleby, Australia; Rory Sabbatini, South Africa; Stephen Ames, Canada
            8:06 a.m. - 1:36p.m. - Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Padraig Harrington, Ireland; Y. E. Yang, Korea
            8:17 a.m. - 1:47 p.m. - David Frost, South Africa; Kaname Yokoo, Japan; Eric Axley, Knoxville, Tenn.
            8:28 a.m. - 1:58 p.m. - Nick Watney, Las Vegas, Nev.; Hunter Mahan, Colleyville, Texas; Ricky Barnes, Phoenix, Ariz.
            8:39 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. - Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.; Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand; Ross McGowan, England
            8:50 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. - Kevin Na, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; A-Ben Martin, Greenwood, S.C.; Matt Bettencourt, Greenville
            9:01 a.m. – 2:31 p.m. - Craig Barlow, Henderson, Nev.; Kent Jones, Albuquerque, N.M.; Bobby Gates, The Woodlands, Texas
            9:12 a.m. - 2:42 p.m. - Dan McCarthy, Syracuse, N.Y.; A-Joseph Bramlett, Saratoga, Calif.; Travis Hampshire, Tampa, Fla.
 
Thursday (June 17), hole #1; Friday (June 18), hole #10
 
            12:30 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. - Steve Wheatcroft, Jacksonville, Fla.; A-Morgan Hoffmann, Wyckoff, N.J.; Rikard Karlberg, Sweden
            12:41 p.m. - 7:11 a.m. - Marc Leishman, Australia; Rafa Echenique, Argentina; John Rollins, Colleyville, Texas
            12:52 p.m. - 7:22 a.m. - Tbd, Far Hills, N.J.; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Shaun Micheel, Collierville, Tenn.
            1:03 p.m. - 7:33 a.m. - David Duval, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.; Tom Lehman, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Ben Curtis, Stow, Ohio
            1:14 p.m. - 7:44 a.m. - Sergio Garcia, Spain; Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Paul Casey, England
            1:25 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. - Bob Estes, Abilene, Texas; Brendon De Jonge, Zimbabwe; Brian Davis, England
            1:36 p.m. - 8:06 a.m. - Lee Westwood, England; Ernie Els, South Africa; Tiger Woods, Windermere, Fla.
            1:47 p.m. - 8:17 a.m. - Ben Crane, Westlake, Texas; Peter Hanson, Sweden; Jerry Kelly, Madison, Wis.
            1:58 p.m. - 8:28 a.m. - Martin Kaymer, Germany; Sean O'Hair, West Chester, Pa.; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa
            2:09 p.m. - 8:39 a.m. - Heath Slocum, Alpharetta, Ga.; Oliver Wilson, England; John Senden, Australia
            2:20 p.m. - 8:50 a.m. - Mathias Gronberg, Sweden; Azuma Yano, Japan; Harrison Frazar, Dallas, Texas
            2:31 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - Jason Preeo, Highlands Ranch, Colo.; A-Kevin Phelan, St. Augustine, Fla.; Mark Silvers, Savannah, Ga.
            2:42 p.m. - 9:12 a.m. - Kenny Kim, Korea; A-Bennett Blakeman, Burr Ridge, Ill.; Blaine Peffley, Lebanon, Pa.
 
Thursday (June 17), hole #10; Friday (June 18), hole #1
 
            12:30 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. - Terry Pilkadaris, Australia; Rich Barcelo, Reno, Nev.; Gary Boyd, England
            12:41 p.m. - 7:11 a.m. - Jean-Francois Lucquin, France; Chris Stroud, Houston, Texas; Gareth Maybin, Northern Irelan
            12:52 p.m. - 7:22 a.m. - Simon Dyson, England; J. J. Henry, Fort Worth, Texas; Alex Cejka, Czech Republic
            1:03 p.m. - 7:33 a.m. - Michael Campbell, New Zealand; Seung Yul Noh, Korea; Paul Goydos, Coto De Caza, Calif.
            1:14 p.m. - 7:44 a.m. - Aaron Baddeley, Australia; Pablo Martin, Spain; Rhys Davies, Wales
            1:25 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. - Alvaro Quiros, Spain; Ryan Moore, Spanaway, Wash.; Michael Sim, Australia
            1:36 p.m. - 8:06 a.m. - Vijay Singh, Fiji; Dustin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Davis Love III, Sea Island, Ga.
            1:47 p.m. - 8:17 a.m. - Ryo Ishikawa, Japan; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Tom Watson, Stillwell, Kan.
            1:58 p.m. - 8:28 a.m. - Kenny Perry, Franklin, Ky.; Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain; Fred Funk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
            2:09 p.m. - 8:39 a.m. - Ross Fisher, England; Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn.; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa
            2:20 p.m. - 8:50 a.m. - Daniel Summerhays, Farmington, Utah; A-Scott Langley, St. Louis, Mo.; Matthew Richardson, England
            2:31 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - Erik Compton, Coral Gables, Fla.; A-Russell Henley, Macon, Ga.; Jason Allred, Scottsdale, Ariz.
            2:42 p.m. - 9:12 a.m. - Erick Justesen, Sacramento, Calif.; Jerry Smith, Oskaloosa, Iowa; A-Hudson Swafford, Tallahassee, Fla.
 

"Watson was what Seve was around the greens and what Tiger is now. So, I thought he had a 50-50 chance of making 3."

Don't miss Chris Millard's recap of Tom Watson's epic 1982 chip-in.



NBC Editors May Seek Raise Before Clipping Latest Golf Digest Challenge

Okay that's not true, but maybe they should since it sounds like a positively excruciating day was had by all.

AP noted...wait, there's an AP game story? Anyway, AP incorrectly reported Wayne Gretzky's score. He posted 100, bested by only Mark Walhberg. Drew Brees fired 102 and readers' choice Peggy Ference took the over, recording 119 from the 7040-yard, par-78 tees.

Alex Myers offered this live blog of the day and clarifies the Gretzky oversight.  Roberto de Vicenzo he is not.

Prepping For Pebble: Lewis Lapham Speaks

GolfDigest.com posts this interview with writer Lewis Lapham, grandson of key Pebble Beach and Cypress Point figure Roger Lapham.

Prepping For Pebble: U.S. Open Memories, Digest Style

"Had I really been invited to play in the Swallows?"

Alan Shipnuck managed to crash the elite gathering where grown men gather to discuss their vegetarian diets, the best Birkenstocks and in general, their desire to foster world peace. Though I'm getting a better idea why SI, the leaflet that it has become, wanted $100 to renew my subscription (and didn't get it!):

Had I really been invited to play in the Swallows? Still, deep down I knew I was unworthy, and I figured Perocchi would either come to his senses or get talked out of inviting me. Months went by without any contact, and slowly my hopes dimmed. Then one day in March, I opened my mailbox to find a beautifully designed invitation. I couldn’t have been more excited had I found one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets. I read and reread the schedule of events: rounds at Cypress Point, Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill; cookouts by day, ­jacket-and-tie dinners by night. According to the invitation, all events were mandatory to foster “the Swallows spirit.

Well how else are you going to foster Middle East peace?

There was only one problem: The entry fee was $5,500. I have four young kids and a bloated mortgage. Devoting that much of the family budget to three days of golf was out of the question. I called my editor in New York City, who I knew has always had his own fascination with the Swallows. I gingerly explained that I was in need of a corporate sponsorship.
“We’ll pay,” he said, in the tone of a fairy-tale bad guy offering a magic potion, “but you have to write a story about it. ”

Damn editors...

Shipnuck goes on to detail how the Silver Oak set gets Pebble Beach closed for the day so they can brainstorm how to grow the game. I tell you, I was touched. Especially after reading this item from Steve Elling about Open qualifiers having to dodge various outtings the week before the U.S. Open.