Westwood Made Officer Of The Order Of The British Empire

Too bad he isn't on Twitter to share his emotions at this great moment in British golf history.

Commence The Search For Deep Hidden Meaning: 2011 U.S. Open Groupings

Far Hills, N.J. – Groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open Thursday (June 16) and Friday (June 17) at the par 36-35--71, 7,574-yard, Congressional Country Club Blue Course in Bethesda, Md. (A=amateur)

All Times EDT

Thursday (June 16), hole #1; Friday (June 17), hole #10

7 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. - Daehyun Kim, Korea; Chez Reavie, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Shane Lowry, Ireland

7:11 a.m. - 12:51 p.m. - Greg Chalmers, Australia; Kirk Triplett, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Tbd

7:22 a.m. - 1:02 p.m. - Marc Leishman, Australia; Alex Cejka, Czech Republic; Kevin Streelman, Scottsdale, Ariz.

7:33 a.m. - 1:13 p.m. - Fred Funk, Ponte Vedra, Fla.; A-David Chung, Fayetteville, N.C.; Michael Campbell, New Zealand

7:44 a.m. - 1:24 p.m. - Matt Kuchar, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Paul Casey, England; K.J. Choi, Korea

7:55 a.m. – 1:35 p.m. - Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; A-Peter Uihlein, Orlando, Fla.; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa

8:06 a.m. - 1:46 p.m. - Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Johan Edfors, Sweden; Fredrik Jacobson, Sweden

8:17 a.m. - 1:57 p.m. - Ernie Els, South Africa; Davis Love III, Sea Island, Ga.; Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

8:28 a.m. - 2:08 p.m. - Justin Rose, England; Tim Clark, South Africa; Jason Day, Australia

8:39 a.m. - 2:19 p.m. - Jeff Overton, Bloomington, Ind.; Ryan Palmer, Amarillo, Texas; Tbd

8:50 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Brandt Jobe, Westlake, Texas; Nick O'Hern, Australia; D.A. Points, Windermere, Fla.

9:01 a.m. – 2:41 p.m. - Christo Greyling, South Africa; Adam Hadwin, Canada; Joey Lamielle, Sarasota, Fla.

9:12 a.m. - 2:52 p.m. - Michael Tobiason Jr., Wilmington, Del.; Jesse Hutchins, Cincinnati, Ohio; Michael Smith, Lafayette, La.

Thursday (June 16), hole #10; Friday (June 17), hole #1

7 a.m - 12:40 p.m. - Chad Campbell, Andrews, Texas; Harrison Frazar, Dallas, Texas; Marc Turnesa, Jupiter, Fla.

7:11 a.m. - 12:51 p.m. - Justin Hicks, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.; Marcel Siem, Germany; Sunghoon Kang, Korea

7:22 a.m. - 1:02 p.m. - Thomas Levet, France; Brian Gay, Windemere, Fla.; Gregory Havret, France

7:33 a.m. - 1:13 p.m. - Heath Slocum, Alpharetta, Ga.; A-Russell Henley, Macon, Ga.; Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium

7:44 a.m. - 1:24 p.m. - Padraig Harrington, Ireland; Angel Cabrera, Argentina; Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.

7:55 a.m. – 1:35 p.m. - Ryo Ishikawa, Japan; Anthony Kim, Los Angeles, Calif.; Y.E. Yang, Korea

8:06 a.m. - 1:46 p.m. - Luke Donald, England; Lee Westwood, England; Martin Kaymer, Germany

8:17 a.m. - 1:57 p.m. - Jonathan Byrd, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.; Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.

8:28 a.m. - 2:08 p.m. - Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Adam Scott, Australia; Robert Karlsson, Sweden

8:39 a.m. – 2:19 p.m. - Sam Saunders, Orlando, Fla.; Tim Petrovic, Austin, Texas; Scott Piercy, Las Vegas, Nev.

8:50 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. - Matthew Edwards, Las Cruces, N.M.; A-Brad Benjamin, Rockford, Ill.; TBD

9:01 a.m. – 2:41 p.m. - Bud Cauley, Jacksonville, Fla.; Adam Long, St. Louis, Mo.; A-Michael Barbosa, St. Petersburg, Fla.

9:12 a.m. - 2:52 p.m. - Michael Whitehead, Sugar Land, Texas; Will Wilcox, Ashville, Ala.; John Ellis, San Jose, Calif.

Thursday (June 16), hole #1; Friday (June 17), hole #10

12:40 p.m. – 7 a.m. - Ty Tryon, Orlando, Fla.; Maarten Lafeber, Netherlands; Scott Barr, Australia

12:51 p.m. - 7:11 a.m. - Geoffrey Sisk, Marshfield, Mass.; A-Cheng-Tsung Pan, Chinese Taipei; Matt Richardson, England

1:02 p.m. - 7:22 a.m. - Bo Van Pelt, Jenks, Okla.; Kyung-Tae Kim, Korea; Ben Crane, Beaverton, Ore.

1:13 p.m. - 7:33 a.m. - Mark Wilson, Elmhurst, Ill.; Martin Laird, Scotland; Peter Hanson, Sweden

1:24 p.m. - 7:44 a.m. - Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Alvaro Quiros, Spain

1:35 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. - Francesco Molinari, Italy; Matteo Manassero, Italy; Edoardo Molinari, Italy

1:46 p.m. - 8:06 a.m. - Hiroyuki Fujita, Japan; Todd Hamilton, Westlake, Texas; Kevin Na, Las Vegas, Nev.

1:57 p.m. - 8:17 a.m. - Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.; Ian Poulter, England; Hunter Mahan, Colleyville, Texas

2:08 p.m. - 8:28 a.m. - Camilo Villegas, Colombia; Aaron Baddeley, Australia; Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn.

2:19 p.m. - 8:39 a.m. - Kevin Chappell, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Dohoon Kim, Korea; Robert Rock, England

2:30 p.m. - 8:50 a.m. - Jon Mills, Canada; Andreas Harto, Denmark; A-Scott Pinckney, Scottsdale, Ariz.

2:41 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - A-Steven Irwin, Arvada, Colo.; Ryan Nelson, Dickinson, Texas; Elliot Gealy, Salisbury, N.C.

2:52 p.m. - 9:12 a.m. - Christopher Deforest, Cottekill, N.Y.; A-Chris Williams, Moscow, Idaho; Wes Heffernan, Canada

Thursday (June 16), hole #10; Friday (June 17), hole #1

12:40 p.m. – 7 a.m. - Alexandre Rocha, Windermere, Fla.; Andres Gonzales, Olympia, Wash.; Bubba Dickerson, Hilliard, Fla.

12:51 p.m. - 7:11 a.m. - Michael Putnam, Lakewood, Wash.; A-Patrick Cantlay, Los Alamitos, Calif.; Robert Dinwiddie, England

1:02 p.m. - 7:22 a.m. - John Senden, Australia; Robert Garrigus, Charleston, S.C.; Scott Hend, Australia

1:13 p.m. - 7:33 a.m. - Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.; Stephen Gallacher, Scotland; Seung Yul Noh, Korea

1:24 p.m. - 7:44 a.m.- Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Retief Goosen, South Africa; David Toms, Shreveport, La.

1:35 p.m. – 7:55 a.m.- Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

1:46 p.m. - 8:06 a.m. - Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Trevor Immelman, South Africa; Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

1:57 p.m. - 8:17 a.m. - Nick Watney, Henderson, Nev.; Lucas Glover, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Geoff Ogilvy, Australia

2:08 p.m. - 8:28 a.m. - Ryan Moore, Tacoma, Wash.; Robert Allenby, Australia; Rory Sabbatini, South Africa

2:19 p.m. - 8:39 a.m. - David Howell, England; Kenichi Kuboya, Japan; Briny Baird, Palm City, Fla.

2:30 p.m. - 8:50 a.m. - Charley Hoffman, Las Vegas, Nev.; Alexander Noren, Sweden; Sangmoon Bae, Korea

2:41 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - A-Brett Patterson, McMinnville, Tenn.; Bennett Blakeman, Burr Ridge, Ill.; Brian Locke, Los Angeles, Calif.

2:52 p.m. - 9:12 a.m. - Chris Wilson, Dublin, Ohio; David May, Auburn, N.Y.; A-Beau Hossler, Rncho Snta Margarita, Calif.

Update on 2011-06-11 05:18 by Geoff

**Jason Sobel analyzes the pairings and also offered this explanation of the alternate process.

Garry Smits also looks at the groupings and notes some "head-scratchers" as well as the placements of the Jacksonville players.

Major International Scandal Will Make It Hard To Look At Ryo The Same Ever Again...

Driving with an international driver's license that wasn't valid in Japan. I just want to know if this apology is enough for all the Ryo haters out there?

"I want to apologize to all the fans and sponsors who have supported me," Ishikawa said at Narita Airport. "There is no excuse for this."

The 19-year-old Ishikawa drove in Japan without knowing the international permit he received in the United States wasn't valid in Japan because his U.S. stay was not long enough. Ishikawa was questioned by local police over the driving license incident on Thursday.

Report: Olympic Course Site Announced

Thanks to reader Rob for this ATR report (subscription required) that Rio Olympic officials made it official: the 2016 course to be used for the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 will be a new one on a site in the city. This hasn't been much of a secret, but still the first official acknowledgement from the organizers of the direction and location.

Organizers also chose the occasion to announce the stage for golf’s first Olympic tournament since 1904, a new course rather than one of the two private 18-hole courses already in existence in Rio.

“Now the masterplan of the different sports competitions is finalized, so we know where every sport will be for the Games in 2016,” Felli told ATR.

“We believe the course is going to be a key legacy for Rio as it’s going to be in the middle of the Barra zone like most of the Olympic Village.”

2011 U.S. Open Masthead Is Here

And I must say the art department, aka Tom Naccarato has produced his finest work yet.

A full sized version for those of in search of some sort of deep hidden meaning behind the images inside the lettering.

(Click on image to enlarge)