Scheffler, McIlroy and Schauffele – respectively Nos.1, 2 and 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings –will start on the 10th tee on Thursday at 8.22 am local time (2222 Thursday AEST), then begin Friday's round on the first tee at 1.47 pm (0347 Friday AEST).

The trio are responsible for winning four of the last five major championships. Scheffler won the 2024 Masters, Northern Irishman McIlroy grabbed his long-awaited green jacket last month and Schauffele won the PGA and Open Championship last year.

Cameron Smith is with 2013 U.S Open winner Justin Rose, who lost to McIlroy in a play-off at the Masters, and Brian Harman, who followed Smith as Open champion in 2023.

In another high-profile trio, Jason Day will go out with Phil Mickelson and Tommy Fleetwood.

Min Woo Lee will play with Canadian Corey Conners and Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark in a trio guaranteed a large gallery as they are the group in front of Scheffler, McIlroy and Schauffele, and behind Jon Rahm's group.

He is with Patrick Cantlay and Matt Fitzpatrick, who themselves follow Day's trio.

Bryson DeChambeau is paired with compatriot Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S Open winner, and Norway's Viktor Hovland.