The draw is out for the Major Championship of the year.
With two days until the 81st Masters Tournament tees off, officials at Augusta have announced the draw for the opening two rounds. 94 players will tee it up on Thursday with a chance of winning the year’s first Major and play gets underway at 8.00am local time.
The forecast calls for a cool, windy start to the championship on Thursday with the weather improving significantly over the weekend. That being said, the advantage may fall with the later starters on Thursday.
So what are the groups and timings?
Once Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player have officially kicked off the 2017 Masters as honorary starters, a tradition dating back to 1921,Daniel Summerhays and Russell Henleywill tee off in the first group of the tournament at 8am on the first tee. Henley, who was the last man to qualify with his win last week in Houston, will relish the chance to tee off in the first group in front of his home fans, having grown up and attended college in Georgia.
Denmark’sSøren Kjeldsen, who finished in the top ten at Augusta 12 months ago, will get his Masters underway at 8.44am alongsideKevin Chappelland US Ryder Cup captainJim Furyk. The latter finished runner-up at the US Open last year but hasn’t featured in the top ten at Augusta since 2009 and would become the oldest ever Masters winner if he could slip on the Green Jacket aged 46 years and 332 days old.
English Masters rookieTommy Fleetwoodwill do well to keep up with his playing partners when he hits his first competitive shot at Augusta at 9.17am. The Race to Dubai leader has been grouped with big-hitting AmericansGary Woodland and JB Holmes.
Following them down the first hole will be the group ofAdam Scott, Kevin Kisner and Andy Sullivan. The Englishman, who missed the cut in his debut last year, will be hoping to learn from Scott who won the Green Jacket four years ago.
Scotland’sRussell Knoxmakes up on third of one of the marquee groups of the morning, getting his campaign underway withRickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyamafor company. In the past two years, these three have 13 wins and 58 top tens combined worldwide.
Jordan Spiethwill draw a lot of attention on the first tee when he tees off alongsideMartin Kaymer and Matt Fitzpatrickat 10.34am on Thursday. Spieth has finished runner-up twice and won once in his first three Masters starts, whilst Fitzpatrick impressed last year with a final round 67 to finish in a tie for seventh in his Masters debut.
Fan-favourite Phil Mickelson will be in search of his fourth Green Jacket when he gets underway withRafa Cabrera Bello and Si Woo Kimat 10.45am. Mickelson is playing at Augusta for the 25th time this week while Cabrera Bello and Kim have one appearance between them, with the Spainard finishing in the top 20 in 2016.
Jason Day, Justin Rose and Brandt Snedekerwill walk the fairways together on Thursday and Friday having been group together in the 10.56am tee time on Thursday. Whilst none of the three have ever won at Augusta, they have ten top ten finishes combined.
Defending championDanny Willettwill look to become just the fourth player in Masters history to successfully retain the Green Jacket, starting his championship with Matt Kuchar and reigning US Amateur championCurtis Luckat 12.24pm.
English rookieTyrrell Hattonwill have Henrik Stensonand former Masters championAngel Cabrerafor company when he gets his Masters debut started at 12.46pm. The 2016 Dunhill Links champion has finished in the top ten in all three of his US-based starts in the lead up to the Masters and will look to become just the second rookie in 82 years to win the Green Jacket. Stenson, meanwhile, has finished in the top 25 in each of the last four Masters but has never mounted a serious charge at the year’s first Major. However the Swede will be full of confidence following his maiden Major victory last year.
At 1.19pm, the all-European Tour cast ofSergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Shane Lowrywill get started. Westwood and Garcia have a combined 40 Major top tens without a win, while Lowry held the lead going into the final round of the 2016 US Open before finishing runner-up.
Rory McIlroy’s quest for the career Grand Slam starts at 1.41pm withJon Rahmand Japan’sHideto Taniharamaking up his group. The World Number Two has featured in the top ten of the last three Masters but will have his sights set purely on victory this week. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm will hope to feed off McIlroy as he makes his Masters debut ranked Number 12 in the world.
Last off the tee on Thursday is World Number OneDustin JohnsonalongsideBubba Watson and Jimmy Walker. Dustin Johnson has won each of his last three starts and will look to pick up his second Major victory this week while Jimmy Walker will be hoping to make it back-to-back Major titles having won the PGA Championship at Baltusrol last July.
Here's a look at the full draw (Thursday/Friday)
8.00am: Daniel Summerhays, Russell Henley
8.11am: Trevor Immelman, Brendan Steele, Jhonattan Vegas
8.22am: Mike Weir, Billy Hurley III, Scott Piercy
8.33am: Larry Mize, Brian Stuard, Stewart Hagestad (a)
8.44am: Søren Kjeldsen, Kevin Chappell, Jim Furyk
8.55am: Sandy Lyle, Sean O'Hair, Scott Gregory (a)
9.06am: Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Hadwin
9.17am: Tommy Fleetwood, Gary Woodland, J.B. Holmes
9.28am: Adam Scott, Kevin Kisner, Andy Sullivan
9.39am: Francesco Molinari, Daniel Berger, Thomas Pieters
10.01am: Fred Couples, Paul Casey, Kevin Na
10.12am: Russell Knox, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama
10.23am: Branden Grace, Brooks Koepka, Jeunghun Wang
10.34am: Jordan Spieth, Martin Kaymer, Matt Fitzpatrick
10.45am: Phil Mickelson, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Si Woo Kim
10.56am: Brandt Snedeker, Justin Rose, Jason Day
11.07am: Rod Pampling, Willie McGirt
11.18am: Mark O'Meara, Hudson Swafford, Robert Castro
11.29am: Ian Woosnam, James Hahn, Brad Dalke (a)
11.40am: Ross Fisher, Pat Perez, Byeong Hun An
11.51am: Jose Maria Olazabal, Ryan Moore, Webb Simpson
12.13pm: Ernie Els, Jason Dufner, Bernd Wiesberger
12.24pm: Danny Willett, Matt Kuchar, Curtis Luck (a)
12.35pm: Vijay Singh, Emiliano Grillo, Toto Gana (a)
12.46pm: Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton
12.57pm: Charl Schwartzel, Steve Stricker, Mackenzie Hughes
1.08pm: Charley Hoffman, Chris Wood, Yuta Ikeda
1.19pm: Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Shane Lowry
1.30pm: Bernhard Langer, Alex Noren, Patrick Reed
1.41pm: Rory McIlroy, Hideto Tanihara, Jon Rahm
1.52pm: Marc Leishman, Bill Haas, Justin Thomas
2.03pm: Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Jimmy Walker
(a) denotes amateur
