The USGA announced on Wednesday that the top three players in the world -- Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott -- will play together next Thursday and Friday at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

The top 12 players in the world ranking will combine to form four groups. In addition to the top three, the groups will be: Ernie Els (No. 4), Geoff Ogilvy  (No. 5) and Justin Rose  (No. 6); Steve Stricker (No. 7), Jim Furyk (No. 8) and K.J. Choi (No. 9); and Vijay Singh (No. 10), Sergio Garcia (No. 11) and Stewart Cink (No. 12).

Woods and Mickelson have not played together at a U.S. Open since the third round at Pinehurst in 1999. The Woods, Mickelson and Scott group will tee off at  11:06 Eastern on Thursday morning. The rest of the groupings are here, and yes, they're as whimsical as ever.

** Cameron Morfit thinks this is a good idea. Farrell Evans disagrees. Tell us what you think.