World No 1 and defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, will play alongside Justin Thomas and US Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester when the 89th Masters tees off on Thursday, 10 April at Augusta National.
For the latest golf news, bookmark The South African website’s dedicated section for free-to-read content
World No 2 Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, was grouped with Sweden’s Ludwig Aberg and American Akshay Bhatia for the first two rounds in tee times announced on Tuesday by the famed club.
Two-time Masters winner Scheffler and fellow American Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner, will join Spanish amateur Ballester at 16:15 (SA time).
Four-time major winner McIlroy, the Northern Ireland star who would complete a career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, and his group tee off at 19:12 (SA time).
American Davis Riley is set to hit the first competitive tee shot on Thursday at 13:40 (SA time).
German Bernhard Langer begins his 41st and final Masters at 14:35 (SA time).
12 LIV golfers in 95-player field
Other top contenders are spread early and late in the opening-day field.
Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, Australian Min Woo Lee and Chilean Joaquin Niemann tee off two groups ahead of Scheffler at 15:47 (SA time), followed by Aussie Jason Day, US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and six-time major winner Phil Mickelson at 15:58 (SA time).
Just behind Scheffler’s trio will be three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, South Korean Tom Kim and England’s Tyrrell Hatton at 16:26 (SA time).
In the afternoon, five-time major winner Brooks Koepka and fellow American Russell Henley join South Korean Im Sung-jae at 18:50 (SA time). and just behind them at 19:01 (SA time), and just ahead of McIlroy’s group, will be Aussie Adam Scott, Viktor Hovland and reigning British Open and PGA Championship champion Xander Schauffele.
The group behind McIlroy’s trio includes reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Ireland’s Shane Lowry and 19:23 (SA time), just 11 minutes later will start 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm of Spain, England’s Tommy Fleetwood and American Wyndham Clark.
Three South Africans
Meanwhile, there are just three South Africans in the 95-player field.
Thriston Lawrence will start his opening round at 17:10 (SA time), alongside Spain’s Jose-Maria Olazabal and American Brian Campbell.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout will get his tournament under way at 17:38 (SA time) alongside two Americans in Tom Hoge and Matt McCarty.
Finally, Charl Schwazrtzel, the 2011 champion at Augusta National, has been paired alongside American Denny McCarthy and Singapore amateur Hiroshi Tai.
They will tee off at 17:49 (SA time).
Where does the Masters rank among your list of favourite sporting events of the year?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
