MOBILE, Ala. - Former University of South Alabama men's golfers Heath Slocum and Gareth Maybin will be among the 156 individuals competing at the U.S. Open, which begins Thursday morning at the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Slocum will tee off on the first hole of the course - which will play at par 71 over 7,040 yards for the week - at 4:09 p.m. CDT, as he is paired with Oliver Wilson and John Senden.  The trio will start the second round Friday on No. 10 at 8:39 a.m.

Maybin will be playing with Jean-Francois Lucquin and Chris Stroud, with the group starting at 2:41 p.m. on No. 10 in the first round and on the first hole at 7:11 a.m. on Friday.

"What Heath and Gareth have been able to accomplish as professional players is a testament to the rich tradition of this program, it certainly reflects well on playing here," stated Jag head coach Ben Hannan.  "We've had a number of former student-athletes who have been able to extend their careers beyond the collegiate level, and be successful.  To have two who finished playing here within the last 10 years on what is probably the biggest stage in professional golf is a great feat for the program."

A three-time All-America and all-district selection, Slocum helped lead the Jaguars to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances while earning an individual invite to the event on two occasions during a career that spanned from 1993-96.  He was selected first-team all-Sun Belt Conference in each of his four years, winning seven events during that stretch - including the league title his senior season - while posting a 72.52 scoring average, a figure that still ranks second in the school's record books dating back to the 1992-93 campaign.

He earned an exemption into the field this week after he was one of 30 players to qualify for the season-ending 2009 PGA Tour Championship.  It will mark the third time since 2002 that Slocum will play in the U.S. Open - his best finish was a tie for ninth place in the 2008 tournament played at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.

This will be the first time that Maybin will compete in the U.S. Open - in fact, it's the first time since he turned professional in 2005 that he will participate in one of the four majors.  He qualified for the tournament with a 36-hole score of 136 on May 24 at the Walton Heath (England) Golf Club, keyed by a 7-under-par 65 on the Old Course in the afternoon.  Maybin closed out the day of qualifying by going 6-under par over the last six holes, with an eagle and four birdies.

Maybin earned three letters at USA from 2002-04, as he still has the lowest stroke average on record in the program's history at 71.92 shots per round.  He would win eight events as a Jaguar, with half of those coming in his final season including medalist honors at the Sun Belt Championships, earning honorable mention All-America accolades each of his last two years.

The field will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers (and ties) and any player within 10 strokes of the leader.  Play the first two days will be carried live on television on both ESPN (noon-2 and 4-9 p.m.) and NBC (2-4 p.m.).

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).