AUGUSTA, GA – APRIL 02: Justin Thomas amd Tiger Woods of the United States walk on the seventh hole during a practice round prior to the start of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 2, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

By Christopher Power
The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills for the first time since 2004 and the fifth time in the national championship’s history, having previously hosted the second-ever U.S. Open in 1896, as well as the 1986 and 1995 U.S. Opens. The Southampton, N.Y., course will become one of eight venues to host five or more U.S. Opens this year, and it will also become one of four venues to host six or more when the USGA returns in 2026.

As always, the field will be arguably the strongest of any professional golf event there is, but this year will have more juice than ever thanks to the return of Tiger Woods, a three-time U.S. Open winner who will be making his first start in the event since he missed the cut at Chambers Bay in 2015. The last time the Open was held at Shinnecock, Woods finished in a tie for 17th, 14 strokes back of winner Retief Goosen. Woods is in search of his first major championship since his triumphant U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines in 2008, and his first worldwide victory since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone invitational.

Also in the field is 2017 U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka, who appears ready to defend his title after missing an extended period of time due to injury. In his last two starts, Koepka has tied for 11th at the Players Championship and finished in solo second at the Fort Worth Invitational.

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WATCH NOW: A SWEEPING AERIAL TOUR OF SHINNECOCK HILLS

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First- and second-round tee times for the 2018 U.S. Open (all times ET)
NOTE: THE UAE IS 8 HOURS AHEAD OF U.S. Eastern Standard Time so add eight hours to the tee times noted below.

Thursday, No. 1 tee / Friday, No. 10 tee
6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Harold Varner, TBD, Matthieu Pavon
6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – Michael Putnam, Scott Gregory, Will Zalatoris
7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Brendan Steele, Chesson Hadley, (a) Harry Ellis
7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Dylan Frittelli, (a) Doug Ghim
7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – Louis Oosthuizen, Jimmy Walker, Justin Rose
7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – Bubba Watson, Jason Day, Brooks Koepka
7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Tyrrell Hatton Danny Willett, Ian Poulter
8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Kevin Chappell, Andrew Johnston, Daniel Berger
8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Matt Kuchar
8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Thorbjorn Olesen, Shubhankar Sharma, Patrick Rodgers
8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Lanto Griffin, Tom Lewis, (a) Jacob Bergeron
8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – (a) Kristoffer Reitan, (a) Luis Gagne, Cole Miller
8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – Mickey DeMorat, (a) Tyler Strafaci, Calum Hill

Thursday, No. 10 tee / Friday, No. 1 tee
6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Scott Stallings, Sebastian Munoz, Matthew Southgate
6:56 a.m. / 12:41 p.m. – Trey Mullinax, (a) Matt Parziale, Jason Scrivener
7:07 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – David Bransdon, Eric Axley, Tyler Duncan
7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – (a) Garrett Rank, Mackenzie Hughes, Aaron Baddeley
7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. – Alexander Levy, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay
7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – Paul Casey, Satoshi Kodaira, Branden Grace
7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Zach Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Reed
8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson
8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Marc Leishman, Rickie Fowler
8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Charles Howell III, Bill Haas, Charley Hoffman
8:35 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Sungjae Im, Russell Knox, Matthew Wallace
8:46 a.m. / 2:31 p.m. – (a) Shintaro Ban, Sung Joon Park, Timothy Wilkinson
8:57 a.m. / 2:42 p.m. – Dylan Meyer, Sulman Raza, Chris Naegel

Thursday, No. 1 tee / Friday, No. 10 tee
12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Sam Burns, Brian Gay, Dean Burmester
12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – TBD; (a) Chun An Yu, Wenchong Liang
12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – Russell Henley, Aaron Wise, Peter Uihlein
1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – Tony Finau, Luke List, Gary Woodland
1:14 p.m. – 7:29 a.m. – Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm, Rafa Cabrera Bello
1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari, Alexander Noren
1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Cameron Smith, Kyle Stanley, Pat Perez
1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods
1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Haotong Li, Si Woo Kim, Kiradech Aphibarnrat
2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Jason Dufner, (a) Braden Thornberry, Brandt Snedeker
2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – TBD, (a) Ryan Lumsden, James Morrison
2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – Cameron Wilson, (a) Will Grimmer, (a) Philip Barbaree
2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – (a) Rhett Rasmussen, Michael Hebert, Michael Block

Thursday, No. 10 tee/ Friday, No. 1 tee
12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Matthew Jones, Ryan Fox, Shota Akiyoshi
12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – Paul Waring, (a) Theo Humphrey, TBD
12:52 p.m. / 7:07 a.m. – Richy Werenski, Roberto Castro, Ollie Schniederjans
1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – (a) Noah Goodwin, Richie Ramsay, Kenny Perry
1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, TBD, Xander Schauffele
1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Lucas Glover, Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell
1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk
1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Martin Kaymer
1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Kevin Kisner, Ross Fisher, Adam Hadwin
2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Shane Lowry, TBD, Chez Reavie
2:20 p.m. / 8:35 a.m. – Lucas Herbert, Brian Stuard, (a) Stewart Hagestad
2:31 p.m. / 8:46 a.m. – (a) Franklin Huang, Sebastian Vazquez, Michael Miller
2:42 p.m. / 8:57 a.m. – Christopher Babcock, (a) Timothy Wiseman, David Gazzolo