Sport

Woods and Harington together in PGA opening round

11:20 am on 8 August 2009

World number one Tiger Woods will play with holder Padraig Harrington and 2002 champion Rich Beem in the first two rounds of next week's PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota.

Woods, who has won the year's final major four times, is scheduled to tee off with Irishman Harrington and fellow American Beem from the 10th hole at in Thursday's opening round.

Harrington clinched last year's PGA Championship by two shots at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where Woods was a notable absentee while recovering from knee surgery.

It was the Irishman's third major victory in six starts, following earlier successes at the British Open in 2007 and 2008.

Masters champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina has been grouped with U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover and British Open champion Stewart Cink for the first two rounds at Hazeltine National next week.

In other high-profile groupings, twice champion Vijay Singh has been drawn with former winners Davis Love III and Steve Elkington while Phil Mickelson, who won the 2005 title at Baltusrol, will play with fellow Americans David Toms and Paul Azinger.