(Reuters) - Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas are in the same group for the first two rounds at next week's PGA Championship in Missouri, organisers announced on Friday.
Woods, winner of 14 majors, remains the game's biggest drawcard despite a long drought in the four championships that comprise the grand slam.
McIlroy is a four-times major champion, including the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships, while Thomas is defending champion after last year's triumph at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.
They will tee off at 8.23 a.m. local time at Bellerive in St. Louis on Thursday (1323 GMT).
American gallery favourite Phil Mickelson, a five-times major champion, will also be out early on Thursday accompanied by two former PGA winners, Jason Day and Keegan Bradley at 8.01 a.m. (1301 GMT).
Quality afternoon groupings will not be in short supply, with this year's three major winners Patrick Reed (Masters), Brooks Koepka (U.S. Open) and Francesco Molinari (British Open) playing together at 1.15 p.m. (1815 GMT).
Jordan Spieth, who needs the PGA title to complete a career grand slam, will be in good company with world number two Justin Rose and number five Jon Rahm at 1.37 p.m. local time.
The other glamour afternoon group will comprise world number one Dustin Johnson along with fellow major champions Bubba Watson and Adam Scott, teeing off at 12.53 p.m. (1753 GMT).
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris)