1/5
June 13 (UPI) — Brooks Koepka, a prominent LIV Golf player, will share a group with Rory McIlroy, one of the most outspoken critics of LIV Golf, at the upcoming 2023 U.S. Open. This tournament marks the first major event following the merger of the two leagues, as announced by officials on Tuesday.
The U.S. Open, the third major of the season, will start on Thursday and continue through Sunday at the North Course of the Los Angeles County Club. The 156-player field will begin tee times at 5:27 p.m. EDT, with players teeing off from holes 1 and 10.
Koepka and McIlroy will be grouped with Hideki Matsuyama as part of one of the 52 three-man groups. They are scheduled to tee off at 4:54 p.m. on Thursday from hole 1.
Koepka, currently ranked 13th in the Official World Golf Ranking, aims to win his second consecutive major title. He recently secured the 2023 PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., earning his fifth major title overall. In 2018, Koepka won the PGA Championship and U.S. Open within a span of three months.
McIlroy, ranked 3rd, last won a major at the 2014 PGA Championship. He has also claimed titles at the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, and 2014 British Open.
The amateur trio of Omar Morales, Deon Germishuys, and Jacob Solomon will begin the tournament as the first group at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday from hole 1.
Other notable players from LIV Golf competing in the U.S. Open include Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau.
Koepka became the first LIV Golf player to win a major when he claimed the Wanamaker Trophy on May 21 at the Oak Hill East Course.
LIV Golf, the PGA Tour, and Europe’s DP World Tour recently announced their merger on June 6, putting an end to two years of legal disputes, player feuds, and tournament controversies.
During the feud, Koepka and McIlroy publicly expressed their thoughts about each other through news conferences. McIlroy criticized Koepka and other players who left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, accusing them of being “duplicitous” and contradicting their previous statements before their departures.
The merger will result in the combination of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund-financed golf-related commercial businesses and rights with those of the other tours. The collectively owned, for-profit entity formed as a result of this merger is yet to be named.
Players who were suspended or left their respective tours to compete in LIV Golf will have the opportunity to return for the 2024 season.
The 2023 U.S. Open will be broadcasted on NBC and USA Network, and will also be available for streaming on Peacock.
