Masters Tournament Tees Off Thursday at Augusta National
The 89th Masters Tournament begins Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler playing in the morning wave and Rory McIlroy teeing off in the afternoon.
Scheffler, the defending champion, is paired with Justin Thomas and amateur Jose Luis Ballester for a 10:15 a.m. EDT start. McIlroy, still pursuing the career Grand Slam, goes off at 1:12 p.m. alongside rising stars Ludvig Åberg and Akshay Bhatia.
The tournament kicks off with the traditional honorary starters ceremony at 7:25 a.m., featuring legends Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson hitting the ceremonial first tee shots.
Featured Groups to Watch
Several compelling groupings highlight Thursday’s action:
- 9:47 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee
- 10:15 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester (a)
- 1:12 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia
- 1:34 p.m. – Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood
The LIV Golf contingent is well-represented with Rahm, Brooks Koepka (12:50 p.m.), Dustin Johnson (12:11 p.m.), and Cameron Smith (8:52 a.m.) all in action. Phil Mickelson tees off at 9:58 a.m. alongside Jason Day and Keegan Bradley.
Jordan Spieth, a former Masters champion looking to recapture his Augusta magic, starts at 10:26 a.m. with Tom Kim and Tyrrell Hatton.
Complete Round 1 Tee Times (EDT)
- 7:25 a.m. – Honorary starters: Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player
- 7:40 a.m. – Davis Riley, Patton Kizzire
- 7:51 a.m. – Kevin Yu, Jhonattan Vegas, Nicolai Højgaard
- 8:02 a.m. – Mike Weir, Michael Kim, Cameron Young
- 8:13 a.m. – Zach Johnson, Joe Highsmith, Chris Kirk
- 8:24 a.m. – Danny Willett, Nicolas Echavarria, Davis Thompson
- 8:35 a.m. – Bernhard Langer, Will Zalatoris, Noah Kent (a)
- 8:52 a.m. – Cameron Smith, J. T. Poston, Aaron Rai
- 9:03 a.m. – Fred Couples, Harris English, Taylor Pendrith
- 9:14 a.m. – Corey Conners, Brian Harman, Stephan Jaeger
- 9:25 a.m. – Patrick Reed, Max Greyserman, Byeong Hun An
- 9:36 a.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Billy Horschel, Nick Dunlap
- 9:47 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Joaquín Niemann, Min Woo Lee
- 9:58 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley
- 10:15 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester (a)
- 10:26 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, Tyrrell Hatton
- 10:37 a.m. – Tony Finau, Maverick McNealy, Thomas Detry
- 10:48 a.m. – Cameron Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
- 10:59 a.m. – Angel Cabrera, Laurie Canter, Adam Schenk
- 11:10 a.m. – José María Olazábal, Thriston Lawrence, Brian Campbell
- 11:21 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Matthieu Pavon, Evan Beck (a)
- 11:38 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Matt McCarty, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- 11:49 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy, Hiroshi Tai (a)
- Noon – Max Homa, Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun
- 12:11 p.m. – Dustin Johnson, Nick Taylor, Justin Hastings (a)
- 12:22 p.m. – Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Daniel Berger
- 12:33 p.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Højgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick
- 12:50 p.m. – Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im
- 1:01 p.m. – Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland
- 1:12 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia
- 1:23 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry
- 1:34 p.m. – Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood
- 1:45 p.m. – Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, Sam Burns
The season’s first major championship promises plenty of drama as Augusta National’s iconic layout challenges the world’s best players. Scheffler enters as the favorite, but McIlroy’s quest for the green jacket and Rahm’s defense of his major champion status add compelling storylines to the tournament’s opening round.
