US Open Field 2013: Everything You Need to Know About Golf's Second Major

Tee times and pairings are set for the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Penn. It’s the first time the legendary course has hosted the tournament since 1982.

The field is collectively bracing itself for a sloppy weekend of competition, as rain has dampened the historic site of this year’s event.

Calling the beautiful course historic isn’t just lip service. The storied golf club is hosting its record-holding 18th USGA event and fifth U.S. Open.

USGA executive director Mike Davis had nothing but glowing remarks about the site of this year’s Open, according to Randall Mell of GolfChannel.com: “This place is just magical. In so many ways, it’s a historical and architectural treasure. I think from a golf standpoint, you can easily say it’s a landmark. There are so many wonderful moments in time.”

Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee took the praises one step further.

“I call Merion the Shakespeare of golf. Shakespeare gave us our greatest stories, and I think Merion has given us our greatest golf stories,” Chamblee said, according to Mell.

We could be in for yet another great story at this year’s U.S. Open. The course gives way to the powerful driver and requires a finesse and skill that some players may struggle to perfect, especially if the conditions are swampy and soft.

Below, you’ll find an overview of the course, tee times and pairings, a television broadcast schedule, weather updates, and some key golfers to keep an eye on at Merion this week.

When: Thursday, June 13, to Sunday, June 16

Where: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Penn.

Watch: ESPN/NBC

U.S. Open TV Schedule

When	TV	Time
Thurs., June 13	ESPN	10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET
	NBC	3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET
	ESPN	5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET
Friday, June 14	ESPN	10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET
	NBC	3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET
	ESPN	5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 15	NBC	1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, June 16	NBC	1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET

Notable Pairings

The pairings for the first two rounds of the Open have already been announced. Everyone is excited to see some of the biggest names in the game competing with one another right from the start of the action in Ardmore.

Tiger Woods’ opening pairing has drawn the most attention since its release.

For the first time ever, Woods is paired with Rory McIlroy in a major, according to AP reporting (via PGA.com). That headliner pairing also features Adam Scott, making it a grouping of the top three golfers currently in the world.

 

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott

 

Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Brandt Snedeker

 

Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Keegan Bradley

Graeme McDowell, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson

*Visit PGA.com for a full list of the first two rounds of pairings and tee times

Weather Conditions

The effects of Tropical Storm Andrea may make an impact on the outcome of this year’s U.S. Open after all.

Downpours rocked the course on Monday, undoing some of the work that a beautiful Sunday had done to reverse poor greens conditions. A total of four inches of rain dropped on the green grass of Merion, according to Bruce Adams of Montgomerynews.com.

“[Sunday], it was just beautiful—it was just starting to dry out,” Ernie Els said, according to Adams. “After the rain Monday morning, it’s getting to be very sloppy now. You’re not going to see a firm U.S. Open this year, I’m sorry.”

Here’s a quick look at those conditions on Monday and the projected conditions depicting that gradual improvement, according to Weather.com:

When	Forecast	Precip. Chance	Humidity	Golf Index
Monday, June 10	Cloudy	N/A	90 percent	4 - Fair
Friday, June 14	Partly Cloudy	20 percent	59 percent	6 - Good
Saturday, June 15	Sunny	0 percent	52 percent	10 - Excellent
Sunday, June 16	Mostly Cloudy	10 percent	60 percent	10 - Excellent

Golfers to Watch

Graeme McDowell

Graeme McDowell is looking for his second U.S. Open win after taking the title back in 2010 at Pebble Beach. To his credit, he also has a second-place finish under his belt.

The shorter Merion course should lend a helpful hand to the Northern Irishman, who isn’t known for his distance-driving acumen.

Factor in McDowell’s excellent play this season with wins at Hilton Head and in Bulgaria, and he could very well be the third European to steal the U.S. Open crown in the past four years.

 

Tiger Woods

Will Tiger Woods’ five-year major drought survive after he storms Merion this weekend?

The last time we saw the world’s top golfer win a major was at this very tournament back in 2008. A lot has changed since then for the three-time U.S. Open champ, but you can expect a strong showing from him in this one.

Woods has won three tournaments to date, all coming during his past five outings.

 

Matt Kuchar

While Woods has struggled as of late, Matt Kuchar has excelled. His 2013 season, specifically his last two performances, has catapulted him to the fourth spot in the world golf rankings.

Kuchar is coming off of a win at the Memorial Tournament last week and a second-place finish at the Crowne Plaza Invitational just one week prior.

Sometimes it’s wise to ride the hot hand, and he is definitely that guy heading in Merion.