BETHESDA, Maryland (AFP) ? Brotherly love will count for little when England's Luke Donald tees off in the US Open at Congressional Golf Club here on Thursday.
The new world number one will go out from the par-three 10th in the top feature group with number two compatriot Lee Westwood and number three Martin Kaymer.
And, for the first time, carrying the German's bag will be none other than Donald's elder brother, Christian, who was dropped by another Englishman, Paul Casey, after last month's World Match-Play Championship in Spain.
The family dis-connection is not something that unsettles the placid 33-year-old Englishman, who will enter a major for the first time with the number one ranking preceding his name.
"I think it's a good group," he said. "Obviously I'm friendly with Lee and Martin and the caddies.
"Other than Martin, there's five English guys there, so we have a lot to chat about. It's good to see that my brother got picked up again by one of the great players.
"All credit to what people think about my brother as a caddie."
Donald owes his number one ranking more to his remarkable ability to place in the top 10 than his ability to win big tournaments.
He has won twice this year already, at the World Golf Championships Match-Play in February and the British PGA last month, but he has yet to win a major title and in the case of the US Open his best effort in six previous attempts was a tie for 12th in 2006.
Unwilling to get into the old debate over whether a player who has yet to win a major should be the top ranked golfer in the world, Donald nevertheless knows where his priorities lie.
"Certainly being number one is a great achievement, but if you ask me if I would swap that for Phil (Mickelson's) record, sure, I would love to take his majors and the number of victories he has had," he said.
"But I'll continue to feed off all the good things that have got me to number one and hopefully I can add to my victories."
Mickelson is one of those who believe that Donald is slowly but surely closing in on that all-important first win in a major.
He knows only too well, having failed 46 times to win a major before finally coming good at the 2004 Masters, how brutal an experience that can be.
"He's just a very steady player. Doesn't make very many mistakes, hits the ball solid, keeps the ball in play and he's a wonderful putter," Mickelson said.
"When he gets hot on the greens he's always in contention. He may not have a number of victories, but he's always in there competing and in contention, and I think that type of consistency has, one, allowed him to be ranked number one in the world, but has also made him somebody to be reckoned with week in and week out."
Defending US Open champion Graeme McDowell was even more effusive in his praise of his Ryder Cup teammate.
"I've played with him a few times this season, and he has been really, really impressive," he said.
"I always knew he had a great wedge game and a great short game and a putting stroke to die for, so he's really got his game polished up and driving it a lot better and he's really got the whole package now."
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