SAN FRANCISCO — Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Masters champion Bubba Watson will play in the same group for the opening two rounds of the U.S. Open.

It will be the first time Woods and Mickelson have been paired in the U.S. Open since the USGA grouped players off the world rankings at Torrey Pines in 2008.

The rankings were used for another big group — Luke Donald, defending champion Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood.

Woods is coming off a win at the Memorial, making him one of the favorites next week at The Olympic Club. Mickelson has finished runner-up a record five times in the U.S. Open.

Two share lead

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Jeff Maggert and John Merrick shot 4-under-par 66s on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the St. Jude Classic, leaving McIlroy two strokes back.

Maggert took advantage of teeing off in the first group with calm conditions for the first seven holes and finished with four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.

Merrick matched his best round of the year with six birdies and two bogeys, the last on No. 18 when his tee shot went into the water.

S.Y. Noh, Arjun Atwal, Jeff Overton and J.J. Henry were a stroke back.

Former Husky Troy Kelly was two shots back after a 68. Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor shot a 71. Former Husky Richard H. Lee had a 74.

Other tournaments

• Beatriz Recari, Ryann O'Toole and Giulia Sergas shot 3-under 69s to share the first-round lead in the LPGA Championship in Pittsford, N.Y. Defending champ Yani Tseng matched her high score of the year with a 76. Jimin Kang, a graduate of King's High School, shot a 73. Wendy Ward, who lives near Edwall, had a 79. Former Husky Paige Mackenzie shot an 80.

• Dan Forsman and Bill Glasson shared the first-round lead in the Regions Tradition, shooting 6-under 66s at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Ala., in the second of the Champions Tour's five major championships. Fred Funk was a stroke back, and Bernard Langer opened with a 68. Kirk Triplett, a graduate of Pullman High School, shot a 70. Seattle native Fred Couples had a 73.

• The third-ranked Westwood shot an 8-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead after the second round at the European Tour's Nordea Masters in Bro, Sweden.