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Donald, Westwood & Kaymer clash at US Open

Luke Donald recently beat Martin Kaymer in matchplay golf © Getty Images

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The world's top three players will go out in the same group during the first two rounds of next week's US Open at Congressional.

Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer will all get a good look at each others' games after the groups were announced on Friday for the second major of the year.

Donald, the current world No. 1, will already be extremely aware of what shape Westwood finds himself in, after the pair recently contested a play-off at Wentworth. Donald came out on top of that particular battle, taking his compatriot's top ranking in the process.

Westwood is currently attempting to sharpen up his game at the St Jude Classic in Memphis, a tournament he won last year. However, he has struggled through the first two rounds, falling eight shots behind leader Robert Karlsson.

Kaymer has also jockeyed for the world No. 1 spot during 2011, but he has looked in more danger of dropping out of the top three, rather than climbing the rankings, in recent weeks, with Steve Stricker looking threatening as American's highest-ranked player.

Reigning US Open champion Graeme McDowell will play alongside 2010 Open winner Louis Oosthuizen, as well as American amateur champion Peter Uihlein.

McDowell's compatriot Rory McIlroy will compete in a hugely intriguing group involving Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. McIlroy enters his first major since his Masters capitulation when he threw away a four-stroke lead in the final round.

However, he finds himself lining up alongside a man who suffered a similar fate in last year's US Open, after Johnson conceded a three-shot advantage at Pebble Beach, shooting an 81.

Elsewhere, Italian trio Matteo Manassero, Edoardo and Francesco Molinari will tee off together, Spaniards Sergio Garcia, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros likewise, while there is also a Swedish group involving Fredrik Jacobson, Henrik Stenson and Johan Edfors.

The action gets underway on Thursday.

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