Mickelson grouped with Love and Beem at Oakland Hills

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - World number two Phil Mickelson will play with fellow Americans and former winners Davis Love III and Rich Beem for the first two rounds of next week's PGA Championship in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Mickelson is scheduled to tee off with 1997 champion Love and 2002 winner Beem from the 10th hole at 0845 local time (1245 GMT) in Thursday's opening round.

Left-hander Mickelson, who clinched the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol, will be the highest-ranked player in the field in the absence of injured title-holder Tiger Woods.

World number one Woods, who claimed last year's title by two shots in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sidelined for the rest of 2008 after having reconstructive knee surgery following his U.S. Open triumph in June.

British Open champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland has been grouped with Masters winner Trevor Immelman of South Africa and Argentina's Angel Cabrera for the first two rounds at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Harrington and company are set to start on the first tee from 1315 (1715 GMT).

In other high-profile groupings, Australian world number four Adam Scott has been drawn with fifth-ranked South African Ernie Els and American Fred Couples while Australian Geoff Ogilvy will play with Britain's Lee Westwood and American Zach Johnson.

The PGA Championship, the last of the year's four majors, takes place from August 7-10.

(Editing by Rex Gowar)