The marquee pairing at the opening round of the 2012 U.S. Open was Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson.

Woods and Mickelson have been golf’s two biggest stars for years, and Watson is coming off a dramatic victory at the Masters.

Woods is currently the highest ranked of the three golfers, at No. 4 in the world. Watson is No. 5, and Mickelson ranks at No. 13. 

The three players have 19 major championships between them, but Woods is the only one to have taken the U.S. Open. He has won the tournament three times.

Woods was the only one to finish under par with a one-under 69, while Mickelson was six over and Watson was eight over.

Fans were treated with the opportunity to watch the three players compete against each other. Spectators were up as early as 4 a.m. in order to get to the Olympic Course in San Francisco and catch a glimpse of the trio.

The standard-bearer that won the assignment lottery and held the three players' names up exclaimed that he needed a mild sleep aid in order to get some rest the night before the event. 

The overwhelming consensus among the fans was that Woods was the main attraction, although one young girl was looking forward to seeing Watson tee off with his famed pink driver.

Two young boys did not plan on wasting the rare opportunity and were adamant about following Woods for all 18 holes. They even planned their path through the course in order to catch Woods on the green.

The three players will be paired together again tomorrow, and the excitement over these stars is sure to continue.