U.S. Open Golf 2012: Webb Simpson, USGA Play Nice With Bird Guy

When Webb Simpson was expressing himself to Bob Costas following his win at the 2012 U.S. Open, he was cut short not by a dramatic pause, but rather by a grown man squawking on national television. That guy is better known as 'Jungle Bird' and he crashes events in order to spread awareness about deforestation.

While Simpson seemed none too pleased with the eccentric protestor (he was heard saying "Enjoy the jail cell, pal," as officials carried him off), he ended up posting this picture, which poked fun at the situation.

My new friend. twitter.com/webbsimpson1/s…

— Webb Simpson (@webbsimpson1) June 18, 2012

Despite being hauled off by police officers, the USGA opted not to press charges against Jungle Bird. Jungle Bird posted the following message to his facebook page:

"Congratulations to Webb Simpson on winning the US Open and a big thank you for being a good sport!"

For all your news and updates in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 U.S. Open Golf: Ratings On Final Day Up From Last Year

Due to the close ending at the 2012 U.S. Open, it's no surprise that the ratings for the final round of the tournament was given a solid boost from the 2011 final, which saw Rory McIlroy walk away with the title. Despite relative unknown Webb Simpson coming out on top, audiences still found it intriguing enough to tune in.

Via USA Today:

The U.S. Open on NBC Sunday drew a 6.6 overnight. Predictably, that's up from last year's final-round coverage -- by 29% -- when the event's finish wasn't close and, more importantly, it didn't run in East Coast primetime.

But compared to two previous West Coast U.S. Opens that has similar primetime schedules -- in 2008 and 2010 -- NBC's Sunday coverage was down. It was down 22% from 2008 and 4% from 2010.

Of course, the decreased prime time rating compared to 2008 and 2010 can be attributed to Game 3 of the NBA Finals being broadcast at the same time. Both events took a hit in having to compete with one another.

For all your news and updates in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Webb Simpson Rises To No. 5 In World Rankings With Open Win

Following his win on Sunday at the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California, Webb Simpson has risen nine places to the No. 5 spot in the World Rankings. This is Simpson's third career professional victory as his previous best finish at a major was a tie for 16th at the 2011 U.S. Open.

The top-four golfers remained in tact though as big name players such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Luke McDonald failed to make a dent. Graeme McDowell on the other hand was capable of turning a strong outing this weekend into tangible results in the rankings, as he rocketed 10-spots from the No. 21 ranking all the way to the No. 11 spot.

For all your news and updates in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 U.S. Open Golf Results: Exciting Weekend Ends With Webb Simpson At Top

The U.S. Open at The Olympic Club was meant to be a grueling course, to the point where a lot of people expected that it would take only an even par game to win it all. That prediction ended up being too kind, with the eventual winner Webb Simpson finishing with a +1 after an exciting Sunday.

It started off with a lot of expectations for guys who weren't Webb Simpson, though. A 'superstar' trio of players matched together on the first day of the tournament -- Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson -- was supposed to provide the biggest match-up of the Open. Unfortunately for those three, it never worked out that way. The Olympic course did its business, especially to Watson and Mickelson who were both pushing high scores right from the start. Watson didn't even make the first cut, while Mickelson made it only barely and was out shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, less famous names like David Toms, Michael Thompson and Jim Furyk were doing steady work to keep themselves up at the top of the leaderboard. Tiger Woods had his chances and started off the tournament with strong play but couldn't seem to keep a lead for himself, never managing to pull away from the heart of the pack at the top.

Woods eventually succumbed to the course as well, though he was the only one of his trio to make it as far as Sunday's final round, he had a bad round which doomed him to finish out of the money. Instead, it was a late rush by Webb Simpson that would win the day and the Open.

Going into Sunday, the leaderboard had a slew of names near the top, with Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell being top dogs. Simpson hadn't done a whole lot in the tournament up until that point, and as late as Saturday had only 125/1 odds on him to win it. He was one of the first to go on Sunday but put up a spectacular final round, ending up at two under par. As he waited, players ahead of him started to slide left and right and by the end of the day, his great final round was able to hold and he ended up $1.4 million richer and the U.S. Open champion with a score of +1.

Par for the course at the Olympic Club, which promised excitement at the beginning and delivered from start to finish.

You can find the final leaderboard here at USOpen.com.

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2012 U.S. Open Golf Prize Money: Webb Simpson Takes Home $1.4 Million After First Major Win

It's good to be Webb Simpson right now. After winning his first ever Major, the 26 year old also took home a nice chunk of change from the U.S. Open. Simpson will be taking home $1.4 million, twice as much as the two players who tied for second place.

Absent of course from the money list this time around is anyone from the 'superstar' trio that started the U.S. Open looking like the absolute favorites. None of Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson or early favorite Tiger Woods did much of anything of note in the tournament, with two of them not even making the cut to Sunday. In one of the more widely reported money related stories, 17 year old Beau Hossler missed out on the payout by one stroke as well.

Here's the full list of money winners and their payouts from this year's Open:

1 Webb Simpson (+1): $1,440,000
T2 Michael Thompson (+2): $695,916
T2 Graeme McDowell (+2): $695,916
T4 Jason Dufner (+3): $276,841
T4 Padraig Harrington (+3): $276,841
T4 David Toms (+3): $276,841
T4 John Peterson (+3): $276,841
T4 Jim Furyk (+3): $276,841
9 Ernie Els (+4): $200,280
T10 John Senden (+5): $163,594
T10 Kevin Chappell (+5): $163,594
T10 Casey Wittenberg (+5): $163,594
T10 Retief Goosen (+5): $163,594
T10 Lee Westwood (+5): $163,594

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Championship Winner 2012: Webb Simpson Becomes Surprise Winner

Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk held the lead headed into Sunday. but it was Webb Simpson who had to play the waiting game at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Simpson fired a two under par 68 pm Sunday and had to wait out the field as Furyk and McDowell finished, but it was enough for his third PGA Tour win and first Major.

The 26 year old became a professional in 2008 and has finished in the top 10 four times previously this year, but his career breakthrough came with a spectacular final round on Sunday. Simpson finished at one over par for the tournament and a stroke ahead of McDowell and Michael Thompson. Thompson fired the best round on Sunday by hitting a three under 67.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012 Tee Times And Pairings For Sunday: Co-Leaders Graeme McDowell And Jim Furyk In Final Group

With as many as seven golfers within three strokes of the lead, Sunday's final round at the 112th U.S. Open is shaping up to be one for the ages.

And with only two players, 54-hole leaders Graem McDowell and Jim Furyk, currently the only two golfers below par, the USGA's initial goal of seeing an even-par winner this year seems like a very plausible scenario.

McDowell and Furyk will pair up for the final grouping of the afternoon, and will tee off on the first hole at 5:10 p.m. CST. After a day three low 67 on Saturday, a fast-charging Lee Westwood remains right on McDowell and Furyk's heels, and will tee off in the second-to-last group with Fredrik Jacobson at 5:00 p.m.

The early favorite after looking strong through the first two days, former champ Tiger Woods certainly did not benefit from a woeful 75 on Saturday and has been placed in a 3:50 p.m. timeslot that is eight groups away from the leaders. Woods remains in the hunt being just five shots off the pace, but will likely need to card a round in the mid 60's to ascend the leaderboard.

Here are the tee times and pairings for Sunday's final round:

All times are Central

11:20 a.m.: Stephen Ames; Joe Ogilvie
11:30 a.m.: Bo Van Pelt; Jason Bohn
11:40 a.m.: Jason Day; Simon Dyson
11:50 a.m.: Jesse Mueller; J.B. Park
12:00 p.m.: Michael Allen; Keegan Bradley
12:10 p.m.: Rod Pampling; Matthew Baldwin
12:20 p.m.: K.T. Kim; Zach Johnson
12:30 p.m.: Davis Love III; Nicholas Thompson
12:40 p.m.: Kevin Streelman; Alistair Presnell
12:50 p.m.: Marc Warren; Morgan Hoffmann
1:00 p.m.: Darron Stiles; Hiroyuki Fujita
1:10 p.m.: Francesco Molinari; Jeff Curl
1:20 p.m.: Rickie Fowler; a-Patrick Cantlay
1:30 p.m.: Ian Poulter; Matteo Manassero
1:40 p.m.: Branden Grace; Phil Mickelson
1:50 p.m.: Bob Estes; Charl Schwartzel
2:00 p.m.: K.J. Choi; Nick Watney
2:10 p.m.: Steve Stricker; Robert Karlsson
2:20 p.m.: Jonathan Byrd; Alex Cejka
2:30 p.m.: a-Jordan Spieth; Angel Cabrera
3:40 p.m.: Steve LeBrun; Hunter Mahan
2:50 p.m.: Raphael Jacquelin; Kevin Na
3:00 p.m.: Scott Langley; Adam Scott
3:10 p.m.: David Toms; Michael Thompson
3:20 p.m.: Aaron Watkins; Charlie Wi
3:30 p.m.: Sergio Garcia; Justin Rose
3:40 p.m.: Padraig Harrington; Hunter Hamrick
3:50 p.m.: Casey Wittenberg; Tiger Woods
4:00 p.m.: Matt Kuchar; Martin Kaymer
4:10 p.m.: Retief Goosen; John Peterson
4:20 p.m.: Jason Dufner; a-Beau Hossler
4:30 p.m.: John Senden; Kevin Chappell
4:40 p.m.: Webb Simpson; Nicolas Colsaerts
4:50 p.m.: Blake Adams; Ernie Els
5:00 p.m.: Lee Westwood; Fredrik Jacobson
5:10 p.m.: Jim Furyk; Graeme McDowell

For a full, live leaderboard, visit USOpen.com.

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2012 U.S. Open: Live Updates, TV Schedule, Watch Online And More

The final day of the 2012 U.S. Open Championship is upon us, and a number of big names remain well within striking distance entering the final 18 holes of play.

Sunday's action will get underway at 11:20 a.m. CST as Joe Ogilvie and Stephen Ames will become the first pairing of the day to hit the impressive Olympic Club layout one last time. Television coverage will begin at 2:00 p.m. on NBC with a one-hour 'Live At The Open' lead-in show before the full tournament coverage kicks off at 3:00.

Throughout the afternoon, USOpen.com will be live streaming holes No. 8 and No. 18 for viewers to watch online, while NBCSports.com will also be supplementing its coverage with a live stream of its own. Both online streams will be available starting at 3:00 p.m. CST and will last until the final pairing has left the course.

Be sure to stay locked with the full USOpen.com leaderboard throughout Sunday's thrilling final round for live updates.

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U.S. Open 2012 Leaderboard: Jim Furyk, Graeme McDowell Lead Into Sunday

Heading into Sunday at the U.S. Open a pair of golfers, Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell, hold a slim lead atop the field. Several notable golfers are close to the top as well, making for what will be a wild Sunday at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Furyk and McDowell are each one under par for the tournament and lead the field by two strokes.McDowell himself made the big move on Saturday by firing a 2-under par 68, just one stroke off the best round of the day. Lee Westwood, who is one of four golfers three strokes back, fired a three under 67 for the best round of the day.

Sunday should be exciting as 14 golfers find themselves within five strokes of the lead. Tiger Woods is five off the pace, while amateur Beau Hossler is the story of the tournament at three over par in a tie for eighth place.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open 2012: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk Tee Off With Lead On Day 3

U.S. Open leaders through two rounds of action Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk teed off on Saturday afternoon at Olympic Club in San Francisco, while no players had been able to threaten their lead prior to that point.

Woods, winner of two PGA tournaments this year but without a major in the past four years, was the odds-on favorite coming into this tournament, and if he gains any kind of separation Saturday, he'll be the hands-on favorite on Sunday.

That would provide some of the most interesting conversations in golf since Woods went on the down slide a few years ago with his injuries and tumultuous personal affairs.

Woods' tee shot went over to the left ruff, then chipped the ball out to the green on his second shot. Furyk, who has played the first six holes (apparently the toughest and most critical ones) better than anyone in this tournament, is having a tough time on the first hole as well.

David Toms came into Saturday tied for the lead with Woods and Furyk, but bogeyed the first hole to drop down to even par for the tournament.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open Golf 2012: Despite Water Treatment, High Scores Still Expected In Round 3

Despite the water treatment on Saturday morning to try and soften up the course at Olympic Club, scores are still expected to soar through the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open. If the opening rounds of the day are any indication, the high scores are expected to stay this weekend as the first half of groups who have already started are a collective 38-over par on the day.

Alex Cejka is 1-under through five and 6-over for the tournament. Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Morgan Freeman are also at 6-over, seven shots back of the lead. Phil Mickelson is even-par through five, still at 7-over for the tournament.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

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US Open 2012: Olympic Club Receives Water Treatment Saturday

With the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open set to get underway at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California on Saturday afternoon, the field of 72 will have the fortune of receiving a bit of a break prior to beginning their rounds. USGA executive director Mike Davis gave the order to have the Olympic Club treated with water in an attempt to slow down the difficult course prior to play beginning on Saturday.

While the water will in no way help decrease the scores, it will go a long way in terms of helping out the players, at least for a short while. With temperatures expected in the high 80s on Saturday, odds are the water will only make a difference early in the morning prior to speeding up in the afternoon.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

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2012 US Open Golf Odds: Tiger Woods Still Favorite To Win Open

Coming into the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California, Tiger Woods is still the odds-on favorite to win the tournament with odds of 5/4 according to sports betting website, Bovada. Woods partner for Saturday, Jim Furyk has the second best odds of the field sitting at 5/1. Woods and Furyk will come into the day atop the leaderboard with both players at 1-under par.

Odds for the rest of the field:

Tiger Woods 5/4

Jim Furyk 5/1

David Toms 10/1

Graeme McDowell 14/1

Nicolas Colsaerts 25/1

Matt Kuchar 22/1

Jason Dufner 33/1

Hunter Mahan 28/1

Charl Schwartzel 33/1

Lee Westwood 33/1

K.J. Choi 40/1

Justin Rose 50/1

Sergio Garcia 66/1

Padraig Harrington 66/1

Fredrik Jacobson 66/1

Steve Stricker 66/1

Michael - H Thompson 66/1

Blake Adams 80/1

Ernie Els 80/1

Phil Mickelson 80/1

John Peterson 100/1

Nick Watney 100/1

Ian Poulter 125/1

Webb Simpson 125/1

Jason Day 150/1

Raphael Jacquelin 150/1

Robert Karlsson 150/1

Martin Kaymer 150/1

Adam Scott 150/1

Charlie Wi 150/1

Keegan Bradley 200/1

Jonathan Byrd 200/1

Retief Goosen 200/1

Branden Grace 200/1

Matteo Manassero 200/1

Francesco Molinari 200/1

Kevin Na 200/1

John Senden 200/1

Beau Hossler 250/1

Michael Allen 300/1

Aaron Watkins 300/1

Check out USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

Read more about the U.S. Open at our dedicated golf hub page and check out USOpen.com for an updated leaderboard.

2012 US Open: Live Updates, TV Schedule, Watch Online And More

On Saturday, the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open will get underway at Olympic Club in San Francisco, California with the field officially cut down to 72 players. With the event being hosted on the west coast, the USGA will continue their tradition of primetime coverage of the event, which generated a great deal of success in 2008 at Torrey Pines and repeated at Pebble Beach in 2012.

The final group of Tigers Woods and Jim Furyk will not begin until 6:05 p.m., ET with nearly the entire round being televised in primetime. NBC will handle the tournament's coverage from here on with Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller anchoring an ensemble cast of other personalities such as Gary Koch, Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing, Peter Jacobsen and others.

Coming into the day, the coverage is set to begin at 4 p.m., ET and is expected to end at 10 p.m., ET but NBC will extend the coverage if Woods and Furyk have not completed their rounds by that time.

In addition to the television coverage, USOpen.com will be live streaming the action from two of the most exciting holes on the course -- No. 8 and No. 18 -- both of which provide two potential birdie opportunities. Visit their site for a complete list of TV, radio, and streaming schedules.

Check out USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

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US Open 2012 Tee Times And Pairings For Saturday: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk Paired In Final Group

On Saturday, the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open will get underway from the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. With the field cut to down to 72, Tiger Woods will enter the third day with a share of the lead with Jim Furyk as both players are currently 1-under par. The pairing will play much of their round during primetime as they are set to begin at 6:05 p.m., ET.

A complete list of Saturday's tee times below (all of which are ET):

Check out USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

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U.S. Open Golf 2012 Cut Line: Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson Out After Two Rounds

The U.S. Open is always one of the more difficult golf tournaments on the PGA circuit. This year's Open at the notorious Olympic Club was an especially daunting course to play on for golfers of any stripe. After two rounds, the cut line will likely fall at 8-over, leaving some pretty notable names out of the mix for the last two rounds of the tournament.

Among those who will not make the cut is Rory McIlroy, who finished the day on Friday with a 73. That combined with a 77 in the first round put him at 10-over. 2012 Masters Champions Bubba Watson played a much better round on Friday, but his 71 in the second round added up to 9-over following his 78 in the first round.

14-year-old phenom Andy Zhang is out after two rounds as well, along with Vijay Singh.

Phil Mickelson finished with a 71 in the second round for a total of 7-over to make the cut.

Check out USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

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2012 U.S. Open Golf Scores And Results: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, David Toms Tied For The Lead

Tiger Woods is back on top, after two rounds anyway, at the 2012 U.S. Open. Woods is part of a three-way tie for the lead with Jim Furyk and David Toms at 1-under following the second round at the Olympic Club on Friday in San Francisco.

Woods struggled through the first nine on Friday, shooting a 36. He then shot a birdie on the No. 10 and another birdie on No. 13 to propel him to a strong performance on the back nine and a final score of 70 in the second round. Toms also finished with a 70 on Friday. Furyk had three birdies and only two bogies to finish with a 69 in the second round.

Amateur Beau Hossler fell off his early lead thanks in part to a double bogey on No. 4 and is one of several sitting at 3-over.

The cut line was 8-over, and a few notable names did not make it, including Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson.

Check out USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

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U.S. Open 2012 Leaderboard: Beau Hossler Struggles Late, Finishes Second Round At 3-Over

Beau Hossler grabbed the world's attention when he jumped out in front during the second round of the 2012 U.S. Open on Friday afternoon. The 17-year-old amateur was on top after the first nine, but then he faded down the stretch, struggling in the back nine and finishing the round with a 73, bringing his overall score to 3-over.

Hossler had a 35 after his first nine holes, including an impressive birdie on No. 17. He birdied again on No. 1, but then hit the first of four bogies on No. 2. His score suffered further with a double bogey on No. 4.

The high school golfer fell five spots on the leaderboard. He will have another shot to catch up on Saturday, finishing above the projected cut line.

Check out USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

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U.S. Open 2012 Leaderboard: Tiger Woods Tied For Lead With Jim Furyk

The Olympic Club's brutal conditions have wreaked havoc on the field at the 112th U.S. Open Championship, but former world no. 1 Tiger Woods has worked himself back into a tie for the lead with Jim Furyk after 13 holes at 1-under par.

After briefly holding the lead himself at 2-under, a string of three straight birdies dropped Woods back into the pack and opened the door wide open for 17-year-old amateur Beau Hossler to make headlines by tying clubhouse leader Jim Furyk for the lead. Furyk carded a 69 earlier in the afternoon and has watched gleefully while a handful of players near him on the leaderboard slip up on the tricky layout. Hossler, who continues to impress everyone with his sheer poise at his age in a major championship, has predictably started to feel the added pressure and quickly fell back to 1-over par.

Day one leader Michael Thompson, who entered Friday with a three-stroke lead, has completely fallen off the pace with a series of bogeys in his bid to repeat his opening round 66. Thompson is currently 6-over par after only 13 holes despite being just three shots off the lead himself.

Check out USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

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U.S. Open 2012 Leaderboard: Scores Still High On Day 2 At Olympic Club

Despite the beautiful weather that has been present through the entire week, the scores are still high through the second round of the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. Only four players sit below par, with Graeme McDowell being the only one to start the second round. McDowell is at even-par on the day through 15 holes and is tied for second with Tiger Woods and David Toms at 1-under par overall.

Michael Thompson still sits atop the leaderboard after shooting a 4-under par on the first day of the tournament. He is scheduled to start the second round at 12:52 p.m. PT.

Visit USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

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2012 US Open: Live Updates, TV Schedule, Watch Online And More

Day two of the U.S. Open will begin with another early 7:00 a.m. start and continue all day. The broadcasts are scheduled to stop at 10:00 p.m. ET but will go longer than that if Thursday's broadcasts are anything to go by -- the coverage was extended on day one because of the length of time it took to play.

USopen.com will be providing live streaming of some of the marquee groups in the tournament if you can't get to a television to watch the spectacle live. The marquee streams will start in the morning following Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, and Graeme McDowell, a group featuring two former Open winners. In the afternoon, the stream will show the superstar trio of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson, though only Tiger is doing well in that group at the moment with a score of one under par; Mickelson and Watson are struggling to the tune of +6 and +8 scores.

You can find a full schedule of and links to the live stream broadcasts here at USOpen.com.

Friday's First Round Broadcast Schedule

12:00-3:00 p.m. ET - ESPN

3:00-5:00 p.m. ET - NBC

5:00-10:00 p.m. ET - ESPN

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2012 U.S. Open Tee Times And Pairings: Current Leader Micheal Thompson, Tiger Woods Both Tee Off In Primetime

Day two of the U.S. Open begins with only six of the players in the entire tournament under par, proving again why the Open is one of the toughest tests in golf.

The 'Superstar trio' of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson has lost some excitement since Watson and Mickelson faltered hard on the first day of the tournament, but both have the skills to get back into it with a birdie or three. They will tee off at 4:18 p.m.. Current leader Michael Thompson, holding a -4 score at present, will tee off with Colt Knost and Steve Marino in the afternoon as well, at 3:52 p.m..

Morning wave off No. 1 tee:

10:15 a.m.: John Peterson, Morgan Hoffmann, Aaron Watkins
10:26 a.m.: Jeff Curl, Nicholas Thompson, Casey Wittenberg
10:37 a.m.: Soren Kjeldsen, Chez Reavie, Peter Lawrie
10:48 a.m.: Michael Campbell, Olin Browne, Joe Durant
10:59 a.m.: Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Jordan Spieth
11:10 a.m.: Martin Kaymer, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose
11:21 a.m.: Steve Stricker, Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar
11:32 a.m.: Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Dufner
11:43 a.m.: Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa, Dustin Johnson
11:54 a.m.: Hunter Haas, Tadahiro Takayama, Lee Slattery
12:05 p.m.: Alex Cejka, Kevin Chappell, Blake Adams
12:16 p.m.: James Hahn, Darron Stiles, Roberto Castro
12:27 p.m.: Brooks Koepka (a), Kyle Thompson, Samuel Osborne

Morning wave off No. 10 tee:

10 a.m.: Casey Martin, Cameron Wilson (a), Dennis Miller
10:11 a.m.: Jim Herman, William Lunde, David Mathis
10:22 a.m.: Nicolas Colsaerts, Charlie Wi, Simon Dyson
10:33 a.m.: Alvaro Quiros, Gary Woodland, John Senden
10:44 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood
10:55 a.m.: Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell
11:06 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman, Lucas Glover
11:17 a.m.: Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy, Angel Cabrera
11:28 a.m.: Martin Laird, Ben Crane, Anders Hansen
11:39 a.m.: Matteo Manassero, Aaron Baddeley, Miguel Angel Jimenez
11:50 a.m.: Brian Harman, Spencer Levin, Mikko Ilonen
12:01 p.m.: Brice Garnett, Justin Hicks, Jesse Mueller
12:12 p.m.: Brian Rowell, Alberto Sanchez (a), Brian Gaffney

Afternoon wave off No. 1 tee:

3:45 p.m.: Shane Bertsch, Martin Flores, Tommy Biershenk
3:56 p.m.: Scott Piercy, Matthew Baldwin, Matt Bettencourt
4:07 p.m.: Thomas Bjorn, Kevin Na, Branden Grace
4:18 p.m.: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson
4:29 p.m.: Joe Ogilvie, Stephen Ames, Tim Herron
4:40 p.m.: Davis Love III, Padraig Harrington, David Toms
4:51 p.m.: Carl Pettersson, Charl Schwartzel, Charles Howell III
5:02 p.m.: Robert Karlsson, Bob Estes, Robert Rock
5:13 p.m.: K. J. Choi, Y. E. Yang, K. T. Kim
5:24 p.m.: Fredrik Jacobson, Robert Garrigus, Alexander Noren
5:35 p.m.: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Sang-Moon Bae, Rafael Cabrera-Bello
5:46 p.m.: Marc Warren, Anthony Summers, Michael Allen
5:57 p.m.: Hunter Hamrick, Tim Weinhart, Scott Smith

Afternoon wave off No. 9 tee:

3:30 p.m.: Scott Langley, Steve Lebrun, Beau Hossler (a)
3:41 p.m.: Jason Bohn, Raphael Jacquelin, J. B. Park
3:52 p.m.: Michael Thompson, Colt Knost, Steve Marino
4:03 p.m.: Brendan Jones, George Coetzee, Gregory Bourdy
4:14 p.m.: Patrick Cantlay (a), Jonathan Byrd, Kyle Stanley
4:25 p.m.: Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson
4:36 p.m.: Andy Zhang, Hiroyuki Fujita, Mark Wilson
4:47 p.m.: Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson
4:58 p.m.: Tim Clark, Toru Taniguchi, Rod Pampling
5:09 p.m.: Francesco Molinari, Bo Van Pelt, Peter Hanson
5:20 p.m.: D. A. Points, Dong-Hwan Lee, Kevin Streelman
5:31 p.m.: Edward Loar, Paul Claxton, Alistair Presnell
5:42 p.m.: Mark McCormick, Nick Sherwood (a), Cole Howard

For all your news and updates throughout the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, stay tuned to this StoryStream and visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 U.S. Open Golf Odds: Tiger Woods Remains Favorite, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson Plummet

The first day of the U.S. Open provided a lot of movement not only in the expected story lines but also in the odds for who was favored to win it all, with one major exception. Tiger Woods is still at the top of the list comfortably despite not leading the scores going into the second day -- he is tied for second overall. Bovada's latest odds have him at the top with 9/4 odds to take the win.

Phil Mickelson, defending champion Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson suffered some of the biggest drops in the rankings, going +6, +7 and +8 respectively. As a result, all of them have fallen hard in the odds and none have a better than 100/1 shot to win it as of right now.

Here are the top leaders in Bovada's latest odds:

Tiger Woods 9/4
Justin Rose 8/1
Matt Kuchar 12/1
Graeme McDowell 16/1
Jim Furyk 16/1
Jason Dufner 20/1
Lee Westwood 20/1
Nick Watney 22/1
Hunter Mahan 25/1
Ian Poulter 25/1
Michael H Thompson 25/1
David Toms 28/1
Rickie Fowler 33/1
Jonathan Byrd 40/1
Francesco Molinari 50/1
Robert Karlsson 50/1
Sergio Garcia 50/1
Webb Simpson 66/1
Branden Grace 80/1
Charl Schwartzel 80/1
Ryo Ishikawa 80/1

For all your news and updates throughout the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, stay tuned to this StoryStream and visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open 2012: Michael Thompson Is The Man To Beat So Far In First Round

Ranked No. 107 on the PGA Tour Money List, American Michael Thompson had one of the best rounds of his life on the first day of the U.S. Open. With many golfers still on the course, Thompson is the leader in the clubhouse at four-under-par.

Thompson recorded seven birdies and three bogeys during an entertaining first round. Although he has just one top-10 finish this year, Thompson currently has a three-shot lead over any golfer in the field.

As for some of the other top scores for golfers who have already finished their day, Tiger Woods and David Toms completed their round at one-under-par. Beau Hossler, Jason Bohn, Jae-Bum Park and Robert Karlsson all shot even-par for the round.

Masters winner Bubba Watson did not have a strong start, completing his round at eight-over-par.

Visit USOpen.com for the latest live leaderboard.

For all your news and updates throughout the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, stay tuned to thisStoryStream and visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over toUSOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

U.S. Open 2012: Tiger Woods Keeping Pace With Leader, Phil Mickelson Struggling

The first round of the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco is well underway on Thursday, and the early groups are nearly completed with the first round. At the moment the current leader is Michael Thompson who is at 4-under par and has completed his first round. Thompson has had solid first day with seven birdies to only three bogies.

Lurking just behind Thompson is Tiger Woods who is sitting at 1-under par through 16 holes which is good to be in a tie for second place. Woods has birdied two of his last three holes, and has three birdies overall with only two bogies. Woods has been very accurate today by hitting 10-of-16 greens in regulation and is 10-for-13 in hitting the fairway.

A surprise on the other end of the leaderboard is Phil Mickelson who is struggling and is 6-over par through 16 holes. Mickelson's day started off bad as he had a bogie on each of his first three holes, and five of his first nine. Overall, Mickelson has seven bogies to only one birdie.

To follow the scoring live go visit USOpen.com

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2012 U.S. Open Leaderboard: Jason Bohn Is Early Leader At 3-Under Par, Tiger Woods Is At Even Par Through 11

The first round is underway at the 2012 U.S. Open and the early leader is Jason Bohn who is sitting at 3-under par through 11 holes. Bohn started off with a birdie on hole No. 1 and has proceeded to earn a birdie on hole Nos. 7 and 11 to currently sit at 3-under par.

As for the favorites, Phil Mickelson has struggled so far and is 4-over par. He started his first round on hole No. 9 and proceded to bogey is first three holes. On the day Mickelson has five bogies and a birdie through 10 holes.

Tiger Woods is currently at even par and in a tie for 13th place after 11 holes. Woods has been steady on the day with nine pars, a birdie on hole No. 14 and a bogie on the 17th hole.

To follow the scoring live go visit USOpen.com

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2012 U.S. Open Golf Odds: Final Odds Going Into Round 1

Here is one last look at some of the favorites heading into the first round of this year's U.S. Open.

Tiger Woods began the week as the top pick and that hasn't changed. He was a 7/1 favorite, and than has shifted a hair to 13/2. Pretty much everything, however, is the same as it was on Monday.

Tiger Woods 13/2
Lee Westwood 11/1
Luke Donald 11/1
Rory McIlroy 14/1
Phil Mickelson 20/1
Dustin Johnson 25/1
Jason Dufner 25/1
Matt Kuchar 25/1
Justin Rose 28/1
Adam Scott 33/1
Jim Furyk 33/1
Rickie Fowler 33/1
Zach Johnson 33/1
Bubba Watson 40/1
Hunter Mahan 40/1
Sergio Garcia 40/1
Steve Stricker 40/1

A complete list of odds is available here.

There are about a million ways to watch, listen to and analyze this year's U.S. Open.

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2012 U.S. Open Tee Times And Groupings For Thursday: Opening-Round Schedule

The U.S. Open will tee off Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Central. The ballyhooed Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson-Bubba Watson group will get things going at 9:33 a.m. Central, and the day's second marquee group (Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood) will hit the course at 3:29 Central.

First-round television coverage begins at 11 a.m. on ESPN, switch to NBC at 2 p.m. and then go back to ESPN at 4 p.m. (all times Central).

There are also a handful of ways to take in the action on computer, tablet or mobile device.

Morning wave off No. 1 tee:

10:15 a.m.: Scott Langley, Steve Lebrun, Beau Hossler (a)
10:26 a.m.: Jason Bohn, Raphael Jacquelin, J. B. Park
10:37 a.m.: Michael Thompson, Colt Knost, Steve Marino
10:48 a.m.: Brendan Jones, George Coetzee, Gregory Bourdy
10:59 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay (a), Jonathan Byrd, Kyle Stanley
11:10 a.m.: Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson
11:21 a.m.: Paul Casey, Hiroyuki Fujita, Mark Wilson
11:32 a.m.: Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson
11:43 a.m.: Tim Clark Toru Taniguchi, Rod Pampling
11:54 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Bo Van Pelt, Peter Hanson
12:05 p.m.: D. A. Points, Dong-Hwan Lee, Kevin Streelman
12:16 p.m.: Edward Loar, Paul Claxton, Alistair Presnell
12:27 p.m.: Mark McCormick, Nick Sherwood (a), Cole Howard

Morning wave off No. 9 tee:

10 a.m.: Shane Bertsch, Martin Flores, Tommy Biershenk
10:11 a.m.: Scott Piercy, Matthew Baldwin, Matt Bettencourt
10:22 a.m.: Thomas Bjorn, Kevin Na, Branden Grace
10:33 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson
10:44 a.m.: Joe Ogilvie, Stephen Ames, Tim Herron
10:55 a.m.: Davis Love III, Padraig Harrington, David Toms
11:06 a.m.: Carl Pettersson, Charl Schwartzel, Charles Howell III
11:17 a.m.: Robert Karlsson, Bob Estes, Robert Rock
11:28 a.m.: K. J. Choi, Y. E. Yang, K. T. Kim
11:39 a.m.: Fredrik Jacobson, Robert Garrigus, Alexander Noren
11:50 a.m.: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Sang-Moon Bae, Rafael Cabrera-Bello
12:01 p.m.: Marc Warren, Anthony Summers, Michael Allen
12:12 p.m.: Hunter Hamrick, Tim Weinhart, Scott Smith

Afternoon wave off No. 1 tee:

3:45 p.m.: Casey Martin, Cameron Wilson (a), Dennis Miller
3:56 p.m.: Jim Herman, William Lunde, David Mathis
4:07 p.m.: Nicolas Colsaerts, Charlie Wi, Simon Dyson
4:18 p.m.: Alvaro Quiros, Gary Woodland, John Senden
4:29 p.m.: Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood
4:40 p.m.: Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell
4:51 p.m.: Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman, Lucas Glover
5:02 p.m.: Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy, Angel Cabrera
5:13 p.m.: Martin Laird, Ben Crane, Anders Hansen
5:24 p.m.: Matteo Manassero, Aaron Baddeley, Miguel Angel Jimenez
5:35 p.m.: Brian Harman, Spencer Levin, Mikko Ilonen
5:46 p.m.: Brice Garnett, Justin Hicks, Jesse Mueller
5:57 p.m.: Brian Rowell, Alberto Sanchez (a), Brian Gaffney

Afternoon wave off No. 9 tee:

3:30 p.m.: John Peterson, Morgan Hoffmann, Aaron Watkins
3:41 p.m.: Jeff Curl, Nicholas Thompson, Casey Wittenberg
3:52 p.m.: Soren Kjeldsen, Chez Reavie, Peter Lawrie
4:03 p.m.: Michael Campbell, Olin Browne, Joe Durant
4:14 p.m.: Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Brandt Snedeker
4:25 p.m.: Martin Kaymer, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose
4:36 p.m.: Steve Stricker, Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar
4:47 p.m.: Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Dufner
4:58 p.m.: Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa, Dustin Johnson
5:09 p.m.: Hunter Haas, Tadahiro Takayama, Lee Slattery
5:20 p.m.: Alex Cejka, Kevin Chappell, Blake Adams
5:31 p.m.: James Hahn, Darron Stiles, Roberto Castro
5:42 p.m.: Brooks Koepka (a), Kyle Thompson, Samuel Osborne

For more on the U.S. Open, you can stick with this SB Nation Minnesota stream, or head over to the SBNation.com steam. You can also check out USOpen.com or SBNation's golf hub. And of course, there's SB Nation's YouTube channel:

2012 U.S. Open Live Streaming: How To Watch, Legally, Online And On Devices

Video and audio streams from USOpen.com will be available online, and on mobile devices, starting Thursday morning.

This page has information about all the streaming features, including a broadcast schedule.

A few highlights from Thursday's coverage:

Streams from "Marquee Group 1" -- featuring Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson -- will be available starting at 9:33 a.m. CT. That can be streamed on the web (here), as well as on iPhones and Android devices.

Marquee Group 2, which features Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, and Lee Westwood, will be available on those same platforms starting at 3:29 p.m. CT.

The U.S. Open is also offering radio coverage from Noon to 6 p.m. Central. That, too, is available on the trio of platforms.

A web-only feature is the U.S. Open "Playtracker," which will be available from 11 a.m. Eastern to 11 p.m. Eastern.

The U.S. Open is offering these features all weekend, but the times vary a bit. So check out the site for further details.

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US Open 2012: USGA Announces Open Medal Named After Jack Nickalus

On Wednesday, the USGA announced that for the first time since the inception of the U.S. Open in 1895, the medallion presented to the winner of the tournament was going to be given a name. The association made a wise choice in dubbing the award the "Jack Nickalus Medal."

Via SB Nation's Emily Kay:

"For more than six decades Jack Nicklaus has been one of golf's greatest ambassadors, embodying golf's timeless values and acting as a role model for generations of golfers and fans," USGA president Glen Nager said during a ceremony celebrating Nicklaus‘ first U.S. Open victory, a 1962 playoff victory over Arnold Palmer. "He's the quintessential U.S. Open champion."

In addition, the USGA announced that a "Jack Nickalus Room" was going to be added to the USGA muesum, a distinction that has been given to golf legends such as Arnold Palmer, Bobby Jones and Mickey Wright. Once the room is complete it will house artifacts from Nickalus' esteemed career.

"Kind of neat, isn't it?" Nicklaus responded to the hoopla surrounding his legendary accomplishments. "Take an old guy and honor him. I think that's pretty nice."

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U.S. Open Golf 2012: 14-Year Old Andy Zhang Getting Used To Giving Autographs

When the 2012 U.S. Open begins on Thursday, much of the attention will probably be allocated to the superstar pairing of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson or the outside chances of 35-year old Jason Dufner.

However, there is one player in the tournament who may not have a strong chance to win but certainly has captured the viewing public's attention. 14-year old Andy Zhang has officially become the youngest entrant in U.S. Open history and while he may be playing with the big boys, he still has the heart of a child.

Via SB Nation's Brian Floyd:

"It was funny, like I was on the airplane, and then I was asking [caddy] Chris, I was like, so I get to practice on the driving range and putt and chip in the U.S. Open facility. So is that okay if I go up to Tiger and those great players for autographs. And he goes, like, no, you are going to be the one who is giving out autographs. And I came here and everybody knows me for some reason ... Yeah. I'm signing autographs, I guess "

Regardless of the tournament, the experience is something that will sit with Zhang for quite sometime.

"I am shaking a little right now sitting here. I heard Jack Nicklaus was sitting in this chair this morning. Was he? Yeah? So I'm trying to get used to this. I'm not doing quite well right now."

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2012 U.S. Open: Tiger Woods Doesn't Plan To Play Nice With Partners

When the 2012 U.S. Open begins on Thursday at the Olympic Club, the course will be buzzing about the superstar pairing amongst Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson that will be teeing off at 10:33 a.m., ET on tee No. 9. While everyone else will be talking about the group, Woods has no interest in it. In fact, he doesn't plan on talking to his partners at all.

Via SB Nation's golf contributor Emily Kay:

"I don't think we're going to talk about a lot," Woods told reporters Tuesday about the marquee U.S. Open threesome that will reunite him with former Ryder Cup teammates Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson for the first two rounds. "This is a major championship. We've got work to do."

Woods suggested he would put blinders on for the "long grind" that is the hallmark of any U.S. Open.

"It's such a test, playing in this championship," he said. "I think this is one of those championships that I think the guys talk the least to one another because it's so difficult."

For Woods, there is no extra incentive added considering who he will be playing with. He is only focused on the task at hand.

"Any extra motivation? No," he said. "I'm just trying to get out there and position myself for Sunday."

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2012 US Open Golf Odds: Tiger Woods Still Favored In Tournament

Tiger Woods has had the top odds in the US Open since betting opened, and the odds seem to be getting nothing but better for him as time goes along. Bovada's latest odds feature Woods moving to 13/2 odds, still tops in the list.

Rory McIlroy, the defending champion of the US Open, will come into the tournament with the fourth best odds at 14/1. Also near the top are No. 1 golfer in the world Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, tied with 11/1 odds.

The top bets for the tournament include:

Tiger Woods - 13/2

Lee Westwood - 11/1

Luke Donald - 11/1

Rory McIlroy - 14/1

Phil Mickelson - 20/1

Dustin Johnson - 25/1

Jason Dufner - 25/1

Justin Rose - 28/1

Matt Kuchar - 28/1

29 different golfers are locked in a tie with 1000/1 odds, by far the worst in the tournament.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 US Open: Masters Champ Bubba Watson Expecting High Scores

In addition to a brutal, record-setting 670-yard hole, the best that golf has to offer will be forced to navigate one of the most physically demanding golf layouts in the sport this week at the 112th US Open Championship.

And if the early week practice rounds are any indication, then it appears that not even 2012 Masters champ Bubba Watson, one of the game's most gifted shot-makers, is excited about the prospect of taking on the challenge that is the Olympic Club's Lakes course. Watson repeatedly told reporters that he is not really a fan of the track, and that a score in the 80's from the current green jacket holder might just be on the horizon:

"On every hole, there's something around the corner. Even the shortest hole is tough, and the longest hole is tough," said the American. "There's something on every hole that can get you. It makes it very difficult."

"Do I like it? I'll tell you in a few days," he said. "As of right now I don't like it. There's an 80 lurking. After four days of golf if there's not an 80, then I like it all right."

The last time the Olympic Club hosted an Open was in 1998 when Lee Janzen won the tournament at even par, and there's no denying that the latest modifications to the course have made it harder than it played 14 years ago. Watson will certainly have his hands full playing in the week's marquee group with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, but from the sound of things he doesn't appear entirely confident in his ability to add another major to his resume this weekend.

For more 2012 US Open coverage, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more golfing coverage, be sure to visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub.

2012 U.S. Open Golf: 14-Year Old Andy Zhang Becomes Youngest Entrant In Open History

With much of the focus of the 2012 U.S. Open Championship at Olympic Club being fixed upon Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and other big name stars of the golfing world, there is a rather intriguing story that is developing around Andy Zhang. A 14-year old native of China who has been living in the United States since the age of 10, Zhang will become the youngest ever entrant into the Open championship.

Following Paul Casey's withdrawal from the tournament on Monday, Zhang was awarded the berth despite losing a qualifier last Monday at a playoff in the Florida Sectional. Zhang is already in San Francisco and has signed in for the week. Zhang is no ordinary teenager as he stands at six-feet tall and weighs around 185 pounds. He will be playing a practice round with Bubba Watson and Aaron Baddeley on Tuesday.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

US Open 2012: 670-Yard Hole Longest In US Open History

This year's US Open will feature the longest hole in tournament history, according to an article from the Associated Press.

The new record-setter is the par-5, 670-yard 16th. According to the article, the hole's challenges transcend length:

If length weren't enough, the sharp dogleg left feels like a constant U-turn and the fairway narrows right at 300 yards.

The flag is often blind until the third shot, and ones that miss long or left will bounce even farther away because of the grass mowed razor-thin beyond the tiny green.

"The reason we did that is we really felt that would make it a true three-shotter," said USGA executive director Mike Davis, who oversees the course layout. "The wonderful thing about that hole is that from the back, if you miss any one of your shots, it's awful hard to catch up."

The article goes on to say that from the 15th green to the 16th tee, golfers have to walk backwards about 100 feet.

Only three times in history has the US Open had holes 650 yards or longer. The old record was 667 yards back in 2007.

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US Open 2012 Tee Times And Groupings: Early Start For Tiger Woods And His Headlining Group

Tiger Woods, the favorite to win this year's US Open, will tee off bright and early Thursday.

Woods, who is grouped with Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson, is set for a 7:33 a.m. Pacific tee time.

That group is one to watch, but not necessarily the one to watch. Defending US Open champ Rory McIlroy is grouped with Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. Oddsmakers have put those three right behind Woods when it comes to this week's favorites.

The complete list of tee times and pairings for Thursday's first round is below. All times are Eastern.

Morning wave off No. 1 tee:

10:15 a.m.: Scott Langley, Steve Lebrun, Beau Hossler (a)
10:26 a.m.: Jason Bohn, Raphael Jacquelin, J. B. Park
10:37 a.m.: Michael Thompson, TBD, Steve Marino
10:48 a.m.: Brendan Jones, George Coetzee, Gregory Bourdy
10:59 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay (a), Jonathan Byrd, Kyle Stanley
11:10 a.m.: Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson
11:21 a.m.: Paul Casey, Hiroyuki Fujita, Mark Wilson
11:32 a.m.: Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson
11:43 a.m.: Tim Clark Toru Taniguchi, Rod Pampling
11:54 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Bo Van Pelt, Peter Hanson
12:05 p.m.: D. A. Points, Dong-Hwan Lee, Kevin Streelman
12:16 p.m.: Edward Loar, Paul Claxton, Alistair Presnell
12:27 p.m.: Mark McCormick, Nick Sherwood (a), Cole Howard

Morning wave off No. 9 tee:

10 a.m.: Shane Bertsch, Martin Flores, Tommy Biershenk
10:11 a.m.: Scott Piercy, Matthew Baldwin, Matt Bettencourt
10:22 a.m.: Thomas Bjorn, Kevin Na, Branden Grace
10:33 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson
10:44 a.m.: Joe Ogilvie, Stephen Ames, Tim Herron
10:55 a.m.: Davis Love III, Padraig Harrington, David Toms
11:06 a.m.: Carl Pettersson, Charl Schwartzel, Charles Howell III
11:17 a.m.: Robert Karlsson, Bob Estes, Robert Rock
11:28 a.m.: K. J. Choi, Y. E. Yang, K. T. Kim
11:39 a.m.: Fredrik Jacobson, Robert Garrigus, Alexander Noren
11:50 a.m.: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Sang-Moon Bae, Rafael Cabrera-Bello
12:01 p.m.: Marc Warren, Anthony Summers, Michael Allen
12:12 p.m.: Hunter Hamrick, Tim Weinhart, Scott Smith

Afternoon wave off No. 1 tee:

3:45 p.m.: Casey Martin, Cameron Wilson (a), Dennis Miller
3:56 p.m.: Jim Herman, William Lunde, David Mathis
4:07 p.m.: Nicolas Colsaerts, Charlie Wi, Simon Dyson
4:18 p.m.: Alvaro Quiros, Gary Woodland, John Senden
4:29 p.m.: Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood
4:40 p.m.: Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell
4:51 p.m.: Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman, Lucas Glover
5:02 p.m.: Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy, Angel Cabrera
5:13 p.m.: Martin Laird, Ben Crane, Anders Hansen
5:24 p.m.: Matteo Manassero, Aaron Baddeley, Miguel Angel Jimenez
5:35 p.m.: Brian Harman, TBD, Mikko Ilonen
5:46 p.m.: Brice Garnett, TBD, Jesse Mueller
5:57 p.m.: Brian Rowell, Alberto Sanchez (a), Brian Gaffney

Afternoon wave off No. 9 tee:

3:30 p.m.: John Peterson, Morgan Hoffmann, Aaron Watkins
3:41 p.m.: Jeff Curl, Nicholas Thompson, Casey Wittenberg
3:52 p.m.: Soren Kjeldsen, Chez Reavie, Peter Lawrie
4:03 p.m.: Michael Campbell, Olin Browne, Joe Durant
4:14 p.m.: Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Brandt Snedeker
4:25 p.m.: Martin Kaymer, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose
4:36 p.m.: Steve Stricker, Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar
4:47 p.m.: Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Dufner
4:58 p.m.: Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa, Dustin Johnson
5:09 p.m.: Hunter Haas, Tadahiro Takayama, Lee Slattery
5:20 p.m.: Alex Cejka, Kevin Chappell, Blake Adams
5:31 p.m.: James Hahn, Darron Stiles, Roberto Castro
5:42 p.m.: Brooks Koepka (a), TBD, Samuel Osborne

2012 US Open Golf Odds: Odds Have Shifted Slightly, But Tiger Woods Still Clear Favorite

There has been some movement in the US Open odds, but the name at the top hasn't changed: Tigers Woods is still the favorite.

Earlier this week, Woods was listed at 7/1 (that has moved to 6/1) and No. 2 Lee Westwood was at 12/1 (now 10/1). Also, Luke Donald has inched up from 14/1 to 12/1, good for No. 3, while defending champ Rory McIlroy is stable at 14/1.

Here is a list of some of the favorites as of Tuesday morning:

Tiger Woods 6/1
Lee Westwood 10/1
Luke Donald 12/1
Rory McIlroy 14/1
Phil Mickelson 20/1
Dustin Johnson 25/1
Jason Dufner 25/1
Matt Kuchar 28/1
Justin Rose 28/1
Bubba Watson 30/1
Adam Scott 33/1
Jim Furyk 33/1
Rickie Fowler 33/1
Zach Johnson 33/1
Hunter Mahan 40/1
Sergio Garcia 40/1
Steve Stricker 40/1

Woods has three US Open titles, most recently in 2008 when he won at Torrey Pines. This year's event is at the Olympic Club, which is located near San Francisco.

Woods will be paired with Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson in the opening round.

2012 U.S. Open Golf: Luke Donald Ranked No. 1 Heading Into Open

With the 2012 United States Open Championship opening this Thursday at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California, Luke Donald will be entering the tournament as the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, a position that he has held onto for the last three weeks.

The biggest change comes in the form of Dustin Johnson who jumped ten spots following a win at the St. Jude Classic sponsored by FedEx over the weekend. Johnson is the 17th different player to appear in the Top Ten this year.

Here is the rest of the 2012 World Golf Rankings:

1) Luke Donald
2) Rory McIlroy
3) Lee Westwood
4) Tiger Woods
5) Bubba Watson
6) Matt Kuchar
7) Justin Rose
8) Hunter Mahan
9) Jason Dufner
10) Dustin Johnson

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

2012 U.S. Open Golf Odds: Tiger Woods Early Odds Favorite To Win Open Championship

When the 112th United States Open Championship gets underway this Thursday at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California, all eyes will be on Tiger Woods. Fresh off a win at the Memorial Championship, Woods is the early odds favorite to win the tournament at 7/1. In addition, he will be paired in a supergroup with Phil Mickelson and reigning Master's champion Bubba Watson, which will be sure to attract attention.

Here are the early odds to win the 2012 U.S. Open:

Tiger Woods 7/1

Lee Westwood 12/1

Rory McIlroy 14/1

Luke Donald 14/1

Phil Mickelson 18/1

Dustin Johnson 28/1

Jason Dufner 28/1

Matt Kuchar 28/1

Zach Johnson 33/1

Jim Furyk 33/1

Adam Scott 40/1

Hunter Mahan 40/1

Bubba Watson 50/1

Louis Oosthuizen 50/1

Martin Kaymer 50/1

Keegan Bradley 66/1

Nick Watney 66/1

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage from the event.

US Open 2012: Previewing The Field At The Olympic Club

The 112th United States Open will get underway on Thursday morning at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California, as dozens of the world's top golfers prepare for one of the most difficult challenges in the sport.

The par-70 Lakes course at Olympic Club most recently hosted a US Open back in 1998 when Lee Janzen edged Payne Stewart down the stretch, and is shaping up to be one of the most difficult major layouts in recent memory. In the marquee group for the first two days of action, Memorial champion Tiger Woods will be joined by 2012 Masters champ Bubba Watson and longtime nemesis Phil Mickelson in a group that will remain a fixture on television broadcasts.

Last year's champion, Rory McIlroy, will start his week at 1:29 pm ET on Thursday in a group that includes Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. McIlroy won the 2011 crown by a whopping eight strokes strokes over Jason Day at Maryland's Congressional Country Club in blowout fashion, and was powered by an opening round 65 that put him atop the field.

Minnesota's own Tim Herron will also be hoping to play well into the weekend, and has been paired with fellow US golfer Joe Ogilvie and Canada's Stephen Ames for the first two rounds. Herron, who finished a career-best sixth place at the '99 Open at Pinehurst No. 2, will tee off at 7:44 am ET on Thursday starting on the ninth tee.

For more 2012 US Open coverage, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more golf news and analysis, head over to SB Nation's golf hub.

US Open Golf 2012: The Olympic Club Course May Be Biggest Star At U.S. Open

The U.S. Open course often makes bigger headlines than the winner of the tournaments as the USGA likes to give the world's best golfers their toughest test of the year. The U.S. Open champion will need to be precise on Olympic's hilly layout, but making solid golf shots may not even be enough as Tiger Woods found out in a recent practice round leading up to next week's tournament.

Woods recently played a practice round and was amazed to see a 9-iron hit the green and bounce as high as the top of the flagstick. Olympic is nearly 200 yards longer than when Lee Janzen won at even-par 280 in 1998. Some of the fairways have been shifted. The greens have been resurfaced. The 520-yard opening hole is now a par 4, while the 522-yard 17th hole is now a par 5. An additional tee was built on the par-5 16th hole, making it 670 yards, the longest hole in U.S. Open history.

"It's going to be a hell of a test," Woods said.

In other words, Olympic is ready to deliver exactly what the USGA wants for the U.S. Open.

For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub.

US Open 2012 Tee Times And Pairings: Star Powered Groupings At Olympic Club

The pairings and tee times for the 2012 US Open have been announced and they are bound to create some excitement.