Paul Dunne to lead off Irish challenge at US Open

Erin Hills. Picture: USGA

Greystones’ Paul Dunne will be the first Irishman in action in next week’s US Open at Erin Hills.

The Wicklow man goes off from the first at 13:18 Irish time with Sweden’s David Lingmerth and Haotong Li from Chinese Taipei.

Graeme McDowell is next up from the 10th at 14:02 Irish time with two former stablemates in Lee Westwood and Ross Fisher.

Shane Lowry, who had a four-shot lead with a round to go last year before finishing tied for second behind Dustin Johnson, goes from the 10th at 19:58 Irish time with Scott Piercy and Jim Furyk.

As for Rory McIlroy, the world No 2 goes out in a marquee group from the first tee at 20:09 Irish time alongside former world No 1 Jason Day of Australia and former US Open winner Justin Rose from England.

As for Phil Mickelson, there is still an outside chance he could still play, providing there's a weather delay.

The USGA has bent over backwards to help the six-time US Open runner-up, who plans to attend his daughter Amanda’s graduation speech in California.

It appeared he wouldn't play at all but he will now try to make it to Wisconsin in time his 2:20 p.m. tee time in the Central time zone, two hours ahead of California time, and the third last, first-round tee time of the first round.

It will be impossible to make it on time if play is not delayed but with isolated thunderstorms forecast for Thursday, a rain delay could give the left-hander a chance to get to Wisconsin by private jet.

According to Tim Rosaforte in Golf Digest:

“I’m looking forward to seeing Amanda graduation and watching her make her speech,” Mickelson said. “But I can still make it. You never know. I think it’s possible.”

Should he make the trip but not make the tee time, Mickelson joked he would be watching the Open or maybe even making a TV cameo.

“Maybe I’ll fly up and be on Golf Channel,” he joked. “I can tell everybody how to finish second.”

Erin Hills. Picture: USGA

US Open, Erin Hills (7,700 yards, Par 72)

All Times (IST) -6

Thursday (June 15), hole #1 / Friday (June 16), hole #10

• 6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Jordan Niebrugge, Mequon, Wis.; Talor Gooch, Choctaw, Okla.; Kevin Dougherty, Murrieta, Calif.
• 6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – Andres Romero, Argentina; Brice Garnett, Gallatin, Mo.; TBD
• 7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Yusaku Miyazato, Japan; J.T. Poston, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Aaron Rai, England
• 7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – David Lingmerth, Sweden; Paul Dunne, Republic of Ireland; Haotong Li, Chinese Taipei
• 7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – (a) Stewart Hagestad, Newport Beach, Calif.; Chez Reavie, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Gene Sauers, Savannah, Ga.
• 7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn.; Alex Noren, Sweden; Tyrrell Hatton, England
• 7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain; Thomas Pieters, Belgium; Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.
• 8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Gary Woodland, Delray Beach, Fla.; J.B. Holmes, Campbellsville, Ky.; Jason Kokrak,Charlotte, N.C.
• 8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Russell Knox, Scotland; (a) Scott Gregory, England; Martin Laird, Scotland
• 8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C.; Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Branden Grace, South Africa
• 8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.; Ernie Els, South Africa; Lucas Glover, Tequesta, Fla.
• 8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – Tyson Alexander, Gainesville, Fla.; (a) Christopher Crawford, Bensalem, Pa.; Max Greyserman, Boca Raton, Fla.
• 8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – Matthew Campbell, Rome, N.Y.; Garrett Osborn, Birmingham, Ala.; (a) Walker Lee, Houston, Texas

Thursday (June 15), hole #10 / Friday (June 16), hole #1

• 6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – TBD,; Ted Potter Jr., Ocala, Fla.; Daniel Chopra, Sweden
• 6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – Shugo Imahira, Japan; TBD; Matthew Wallace, England
• 7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Charley Hoffman, San Diego, Calif.; Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.; Hideto Tanihara, Japan
• 7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – Jeunghun Wang, Republic of Korea; Thomas Aiken, South Africa; Bradley Dredge, Wales
• 7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – (a) Scott Harvey, Greensboro, N.C.; Jamie Lovemark, San Diego, Calif.; Michael Putnam, University Place, Wash.
• 7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – Brian Harman, Sea Island, Ga.; Tommy Fleetwood, England; Bud Cauley, Jupiter, Fla.
• 7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.; Jon Rahm, Spain
• 8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Lee Westwood, England; Ross Fisher, England; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland
• 8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Danny Willett, England; Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Angel Cabrera, Argentina
• 8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Sea Island, Ga.; Francesco Molinari, Italy; Patrick Reed, Houston, Texas
• 8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, Germany; Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas; Dustin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• 8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – (a) Joaquin Niemann, Chile; Stephan Jaeger, Germany; Joel Stalter, Luxembourg
• 8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – Daniel Miernicki, Portland, Ore.; (a) Sahith Theegala, Chino Hills, Calif.; TBD

Thursday (June 15), hole #1 / Friday (June 16), hole #10

• 12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Jack Maguire, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Corey Conners, Canada; Ben Kohles, Sea Island, Ga.
• 12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – Eddie Pepperell, England; Chan Kim, Gilbert, Ariz.; TBD
• 12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela; Yuta Ikeda, Japan; Sean O'Hair, Chadds Ford, Pa.
• 1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – Andrew Johnston, England; Brian Stuard, Jackson, Mich.; George Coetzee, South Africa
• 1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – Marc Leishman, Australia; Pat Perez, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Si Woo Kim, Republic of Korea
• 1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Russell Henley, Charleston, S.C.; (a) Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas; Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.
• 1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Adam Scott, Australia; Sergio Garcia, Spain
• 1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa
• 1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Jimmy Walker, Boerne, Texas; Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky.; Paul Casey, England
• 2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Jason Day, Australia; Justin Rose, England; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland
• 2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
• 2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – Ryan Brehm, Traverse City, Mich.; John Oda, Honolulu, Hawaii; Jonathan Randolph, Oxford, Miss.
• 2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – (a) Mason Andersen, Chandler, Ariz.; Derek Barron, Tacoma, Wash.; Roman Robledo, Harlingen, Texas

Thursday (June 15), hole #10 / Friday (June 16), hole #1

• 12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Wade Ormsby, Australia; Oliver Bekker, South Africa; Kyle Thompson, Greenville, S.C.
• 12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – Brandon Stone, South Africa; Troy Merritt, Meridian, Idaho; TBD
• 12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – Satoshi Kodaira, Japan; Daniel Summerhays, Fruit Heights, Utah; Alexander Levy, France
• 1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – William McGirt, Moore, S.C.; Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.; Kevin Na, Las Vegas, Nev.
• 1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – (a) Brad Dalke, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Wesley Bryan, Augusta, Ga.; Brendan Steele, Idyllwild, Calif.
• 1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Nick Flanagan, Australia; Richie Ramsay, Scotland; Bryson DeChambeau, Clovis, Calif.
• 1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Jupiter, Fla.; Roberto Castro, Atlanta, Ga.; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.
• 1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Adam Hadwin, Canada; Emiliano Grillo, Argentina; Cheng-Tsung Pan, Chinese Taipei
• 1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Las Vegas, Nev.; Shane Lowry, Republic of Ireland; Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla
• 2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Matthew Fitzpatrick, England; Peter Uihlein, Jupiter, Fla.; Byeong Hun An, Republic of Korea
• 2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – Kevin Chappell, Fresno, Calif.; (a) Maverick McNealy, Portola Valley, Calif.; Bernd Wiesberger, Austria
• 2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif.; Trey Mullinax, Birmingham, Ala.; (a) Cameron Champ, Sacramento, Calif.
• 2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – Sam Ryder, Longwood, Fla.; (a) Alex Smalley, Wake Forest, N.C.; Andy Pope, Orlando, Fla.
• (a): amateur