As it customary the three Major Champions from this year – Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy – will play the opening two rounds of next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.

GROUPS, STARTING TIMES SET FOR FIRST TWO ROUNDS: The PGA of America today announced the Groups and Starting Times for the first two rounds (Thursdayand Friday, Aug. 7-8) of the 96th PGA Championship, to be contested on the par-71 Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

FEATURED GROUPS: Keeping with tradition, the PGA of America has placed the winners of the first three major championships of 2014 in the same grouping for the first two rounds. That includes two PGA Champions – Rory McIlroy (2012) and Martin Kaymer (2010).

Also, four-time PGA Champion Tiger Woods, who captured the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, and 2005 PGA Champion Phil Mickelson are paired together in the first two rounds.

Defending PGA Champion Jason Dufner is with two other PGA Champions, including Keegan Bradley, who beat Dufner in a playoff to win the 2011 PGA Championship.

Bubba Watson (2014 Masters), Martin Kaymer (2014 U.S. Open) and Rory McIlroy (2014 Open Championship) — Thursday, at 1:45 p.m. on No. 1; Friday, at 8:35 a.m.on No. 10

Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 PGA Champion), Phil Mickelson (2005 PGA Champion) and Padraig Harrington (2008 PGA Champion) — Thursday, at 8:35 a.m. on No. 10; Friday, at 1:45 p.m. on No. 1

Jason Dufner (Defending PGA Champion), Y.E. Yang (2009 PGA Champion), Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Champion) — Thursday, at 1:55 p.m. on No. 1; Friday, at 8:45 a.m. on No. 10

Other notable groups and their starting times, including Kentucky natives Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes …

Kenny Perry, Ryan Moore, Henrik Stenson — Thursday, at 1:35 p.m. on No. 1; Friday, at 8:25 a.m. on No. 10

J.B. Holmes, Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari — Thursday, at 2:05 p.m. on No. 1;Friday, at 8:55 a.m. on No. 10

Sergio Garcia, Steve Stricker, Tom Watson (2014 United States Ryder Cup Team Captain) — Thursday, at 1:25 p.m. on No. 1; Friday, at 8:15 a.m. on No. 10

Graeme McDowell, Brandt Snedeker, Brooks Koepka — Thursday, at 8:45 a.m. on No. 10; Friday, at 1:55 p.m. on No. 1

Miguel Angel Jimenez, Charl Schwartzel, Jim Furyk — Thursday, at 8:55 a.m. on No. 10; Friday, at 2:05 p.m. on No. 1

Matt Kuchar, Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose — Thursday, at 9:05 a.m. on No. 10;Friday, at 2:15 p.m. on No. 1

Rickie Fowler, Victor Dubuisson, Ernie Els – Thursday, at 8:05 a.m. on No. 10; Friday, at 1:15 p.m. on No. 1

Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Lee Westwood — Thursday, at 8:15 a.m. on No. 10;Friday, at 1:25 p.m. on No. 1

Jimmy Walker, Ian Poulter, Jason Day — Thursday, at 8:25 a.m. on No. 10; Friday, at1:35 p.m. on No. 1

Vijay Singh (1998 and 2004 PGA Champion), Davis Love III (1997 PGA Champion)  and David Toms (2001 PGA Champion) — Thursday, at 1:30 p.m. on No. 10; Friday, at8:20 a.m. on No. 1

John Daly (1991 PGA Champion), Mark Brooks (1996 PGA Champion at Valhalla Golf Club) and Rich Beem (2002 PGA Champion) — Thursday, at 8:30 a.m. on No. 1;Friday, at 1:40 p.m. on No. 10

STRONGEST FIELD IN GOLF: The PGA Championship once again boasts the strongest field in golf, with 99 of the top 100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, set to contend for the right to raise the Wanamaker Trophy at Valhalla Golf Club.

FIRST TIME AT 71: While this is the third PGA Championship to be played at Valhalla Golf Club, it will be the first time the course plays to a par of 71. In both 1996 and 2000, the PGA Championship at Valhalla played to a par of 72. This year, the second hole at Valhalla has been converted from a par 5 to a 500-yard par 4.

THAT’S LONG: At 7,458 yards this year, Valhalla Golf Club is the longest par 71 in PGA Championship history. The longest par 71 in major championship history was at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, where the course measured 7,643 yards.     

IS RICKIE READY?: Rickie Fowler has yet to win a major golf championship, but he does hold the distinction of being the only player to finish in the top 5 in all three major championships this year. Fowler tied for fifth at the Masters, and tied for second at both the U.S. Open and Open Championship.

SEVEN STRAIGHT?: In the past six years, the PGA Championship has been won by six different players, each of whom had never previously won the Championship – Padraig Harrington in 2008, Y.E. Yang in 2009, Martin Kaymer in 2010, Keegan Bradley in 2011, Rory McIlroy in 2012 and Jason Dufner last year.

NORMAN LEADS THE WAY: PGA Club Professional Brian Norman, a native of Henderson, Kentucky, will have the honor of hitting the first tee shot in the 96th PGA Championship, Thursday at 7:30 a.m. off the No. 1 Tee.

Norman, 32, is a PGA assistant professional at The Lakes at Castle Hills in The Colony, Texas, and predicted to family and friends that “one day I will be playing in a PGA Championship at Valhalla.” He made his declaration after watching the thrilling 2000 PGA Championship playoff between Tiger Woods and Bob May.

“It’s awesome!” said Norman, upon learning he would have the honor of the first tee shot in the Championship. “It was pretty cool to get the chance to play in the Championship. I never would have made it had I not gotten up and down for par from a bunker on the second playoff hole.”  Norman was one of six players battling for five spots, June 25, in the playoff following 72 holes of the PGA Professional National Championship in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

PGA CHAMPION EARNS SPOT IN PGA GRAND SLAM OF GOLF: The 96th PGA Champion will earn a berth in the 2014 PGA Grand Slam of Golf, Oct. 13-15 at Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda. Bubba Watson (Masters), Martin Kaymer (U.S. Open) and Rory McIlroy (Open Championship) already have gained berths into the Grand Slam.        

YOUNGEST, OLDEST IN FIELD: At age 21 (on July 27), Jordan Spieth is the youngest player in the 96th PGA Championship. Spieth was born three months after Matteo Manassero of Italy, who is also in the field. 

Tom Watson, who turns 65 on Sept. 4, is the oldest player in the field.  Watson won the 2011 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid at Valhalla Golf Club.

BY THE NUMBERS

3 Times the PGA Championship has now been held at Valhalla Golf Club

4 Times that Tiger Woods has won the PGA Championship

5 Record for most PGA Championship victories — Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus

15 PGA Champions in the field for the 2014 PGA Championship

20 PGA Club Professionals in the field

21 Age of Jordan Spieth, youngest player in the field

23 Players in 2014 PGA Championship field who competed in the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla 

24 Countries represented in the field

29 Major champions in the field

33 PGA Championship appearances by Tom Watson, ranking him third all-time (Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have 37 each)

64 Age of Tom Watson, oldest player in the field

67 Players who have won the PGA Championship since 1916

71 Par at Valhalla Golf Club for the 2014 PGA Championship

72 Par at Valhalla Golf Club for the 1996 and 2000 PGA Championship

270 Winning 72-hole score in the 2000 PGA Championship (shot by both Tiger Woods and Bob May, with Woods prevailing in a playoff)

277 Winning 72-hole score in the 1996 PGA Championship (shot by both Mark Brooks and Kenny Perry, with Brooks prevailing in a playoff) 

7,458   Official yardage of Valhalla Golf Club for the 2014 PGA Championship