Lee Westwood paired with Tiger Woods at US Open

Westwood and Woods at last year's Open in Turnberry

In-form Englishman Lee Westwood will play with world number one Tiger Woods at next week's US Open at Pebble Beach.

Westwood will resume his quest for a first major on Thursday by teeing off with three-time winner Woods and Ernie Els, who has won the tournament twice.

Woods has struggled with his game since taking nearly five months off following revelations about his private life.

In contrast, Westwood is brimming with confidence after finishing runner-up at the Masters in Augusta in April.

The Worksop golfer, who has finished in the top three in the last three majors, also put in impressive displays in May when coming fourth at the Players Championship in Florida and tying for 10th at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Westwood has continued his fine run at the St Jude Classic in Memphis, where he topped the leaderboard after round one with a course-record 63.

606: DEBATE Pebble Beach is a course that Tiger knows well and although he is badly struggling for form, I think he may finish in the top five BentyhatesCapello

Woods, 34, managed joint fourth on his comeback at Augusta but, embarrassingly, missed the cut at the Quail Hollow Championship in April and tied for 19th at last week's Memorial tournament in Ohio.

The American, who is bidding for his 15th major, has particularly struggled for accuracy off the tee and recently parted company with his long-time swing coach Hank Haney.

One of Woods's three US Open titles, however, came at this year's venue in 2000 when he decimated the rest of the field with an emphatic 15-stroke victory.

Ireland's three-time major winner Padraig Harrington has been drawn with world number two Phil Mickelson and South Korean Yang Yong-eun for the first two rounds.

England's surprise Wentworth winner Simon Khan will play with Americans Brian Gay and Bo Van Pelt.

Khan's compatriot Ian Poulter, the WGC-Accenture Match Play champion, is grouped with Japan's Yuta Ikeda and Henrik Stenson of Sweden for the tournament in California.