Lowry tees off alongside Mickelson at the US Open

Shane Lowry will tee off with six-times major winner Phil Mickelson and and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa on Thursday, as Mickelson begins his 30th attempt to win the US Open.

The American rolled into Brookline mired in controversy and banned from the PGA Tour, where he collected 45 wins in a career that has spanned more than three decades, after signing on to play with the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Lowry, Oosthuizen and Mickelson will tee off at 6:47pm Irish time on Thursday.

Mickelson has avoided a grouping with one of his most vocal critics on the tour, four-times major winner Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy, who won in 2011, begins his bid at the Country Club at 12:40pm Irish time alongside 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and five-times PGA Tour winner Xander Schauffele, after winning at the Canadian Open on Sunday.

Seamus Power goes out at 6:25pm alongside Joohyung Kim of Korea and Australian Min Woo Lee.

Twice PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas will play in a group with Norwegian Viktor Hovland and fellow American Tony Finau from 6:14pm.

Defending champion Jon Rahm of Spain will play on Thursday in a group including twice major winner Collin Morikawa and James Piot, both of the United States, at midday.

Three-time winner Tiger Woods is not in the field after opting to give his body more time to recover ahead of the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews next month.

Woods was in obvious pain from the leg he almost lost in a car accident in February last year before withdrawing from the US PGA Championship following a third round of 79.