U.S. Open Golf TV Schedule 2012: Top Pairings to Watch in Round 2

The second round of the 2012 U.S. Open will offer several pairings that feature the world’s top golfers. 

All the action can be seen on either ESPN or NBC. ESPN will broadcast the tournament from 12-3 p.m. ET and 5-10 p.m. ET, while NBC will show the golfers from 3-5 p.m. ET, via the PGA website. 

Here are the three pairings that will provide the most entertainment during Round 2. 

Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson

These three players had wildly different experiences in Round One.

Woods looked extremely sharp and finished one under par. He was consistent throughout the day and hit par on 13 of the 18 holes.

Mickelson lost his ball on his very first tee shot, and that set the tone for his day. He finished six over for his first round. 

Watson struggled early and then made matters worse by double-bogeying the 18th hole to finish eight over par for the day.

Woods could be on his way to his first major championship since 2008, while the other two players will be attempting to just make their showing respectable. Whether you are looking for excellent golf or an epic choke, this group will likely offer interesting action. 

Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood

None of these three had an exceptional opening round, and all three will come out focused and ready to turn their tournament around. 

McIlroy and Westwood finished at three over, while Donald was one stroke worse at four over. 

McIlroy was dominant at this tournament last year but has been unable to find the zone he was in during his 2011 campaign. McIlroy is the second-ranked player in the world, while Donald holds the top spot and Westwood is No. 3. 

All of these golfers are capable of unleashing an epic round, and this is a pairing that is not to be missed.

Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell 

This is another pairing that features three players in the top 50 in the world.

Both Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell have won the tournament before. Furyk won in Illinois in 2003 and McDowell won at Pebble Beach in 2010.

Garcia has never won the tournament, and his best finish was a tie for third in 2005 in North Carolina. 

McDowell shot an excellent round at one under, while Furyk is right on his heels and finished the day even. Garcia did not perform as well and shot three over for the round.

There is no denying the capabilities of these three players, and after solid first rounds, they could all threaten the leaders with a productive second round.

Here are the leaders after Round 1. All scores can be found at ESPN.com.

Player	Score
Michael Thompson	-4
Graeme McDowell	-1
Nick Watney	-1
Justin Rose	-1
Tiger Woods	-1
David Toms	-1
Jim Furyk	E
Matt Kuchar	E
Ian Poulter	E
Beau Hossler	E