Woods’ Partners in U.S. Open Will Be DiMarco and Clarke

Tiger Woods launches his quest to achieve the second leg of golf’s Grand Slam at the U.S. Open paired in Thursday’s first round and Friday’s second round with Chris DiMarco and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke.

For the first time in its 102-year history, the Open will be played from the first and 10th tees in an attempt to speed up play and to avoid any delays from possible bad weather.

The United States Golf Assn. released its pairings Friday for the first two days of the Open, to be played at the Bethpage Black layout in Farmingdale, N.Y., the first public facility to stage a U.S. Open.

Woods has a 10:35 a.m. (PDT) start time Thursday on the 10th tee and a 5:35 a.m. time Friday on the first tee.

Defending champion Retief Goosen will play the first two rounds with two of last year’s other major winners--British Open champion David Duval and PGA champion David Toms.

Woods won the Masters in 2001 and again in April, his third Masters victory and seventh major championship title. Of the last 10 majors, Woods has won six, dating to the 1999 PGA Championship.

Sergio Garcia of Spain is paired for the first two days with Joe Durant and Rocco Mediate; Phil Mickelson is in a group with K.J. Choi and Lee Janzen; Ernie Els is with Stewart Cink and Len Mattiace; Colin Montgomerie is with Craig Stadler and Mark O’Meara, and John Daly is with Nick Faldo of England and Stuart Appleby of Australia.