Golf

First-round Masters tee times, featured groups and one interesting twist

By Bob Spear Special to The State

April 8, 2025 2:15 PM

Scottie Scheffler walks the No. 8 fairway during Tuesday’s practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Michael Madrid Imagn Images

Augusta, Ga.

Scottie Scheffler in the morning and Rory McIlrory in the afternoon, combined with a generous assortment of intriguing possibilities make up Thursday’s first-round pairings for the 89th Masters.

What’s not to like?

Scheffler, the defending champion and the world’s top-ranked player, and Justin Thomas highlight one morning group, another features Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann and Min Woo Lee, with Jordan Spieth and Tyrrell Hatton in another.

In the afternoon, Ludvig Aberg joins McIlrory; Bryson DeChambeau goes with Hideki Matsuyama and Steve Lowrey; Jon Rahm will play with Wyndham Clark and Tommy Fleetwood; Xander Schauffele is with Viktor Hovland and Adam Scott; and Brooks Koepka is with Russell Henley.

Rankings: The morning is excellent. The afternoon is simply loaded.

Play away, gentlemen.

Juggling the Tours

For the first time since last summer’s Open Championship, the top players in the world will compete on the same stage, and the pairings provide a nice mixture of PGA Tour and LIV players in the same groups.

Starting at 9:47 a.m. Thursday, the PGA’s Collin Morikawa and Min Woo Lee will join LIV stalwart Joaquin Niemann. The trend follows with Spieth and Hatton (10:26), Keopka and Henley (12:50), Matsuyama and DeChambeau (1:23) and Rahm’s group (1:34) with Clark and Fleetwood.

Featured Groups

It’s hard to complain about the pairings that will receive special attention. They represent a who’s who in professional golf today.

▪ Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee (9:47): Morikawa is ranked fourth in the world, Lee put on a dazzling driving display in winning at Houston and Niemann might be LIV’s best player on a roster of big names.

▪ Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester (10:15): Scheffler is Scheffler, enough said. Thomas has been sizzling and Ballester fills the traditional role of the U.S. Amateur champion joining the defending Masters champion.

▪ Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia (1:12): All eyes on McIlrory, whose first-round history is mediocre, and Aberg, who finished second a year ago in his first Masters.

▪ Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood (1:34): Rahm won in 2023 before bolting to LIV and will be striving to bounce back from a forgettable ’24 Masters.

A patron looks on from the Amen Corner during a practice round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Kyle Terada Imagn Images

Thursday’s honorary starters

A trio of Hall of Famers who collectively won 11 Masters — Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson — again will fill the traditional honorary starters’ role and hit the tournament’s first shots at 7:25 a.m.

The first tee time is 7:40 a.m. with Davis Riley and Patton Kizzie in a twosome. Two-time champion Bernhard Langer, who is playing his final Masters, tees off at 8:35.

Interesting twist

Three-time champion Phil Mickelson joins Jason Day and Keegan Bradley at 9:58 a.m. in a pairing that seems normal. But a backstory that raises eyebrows.

Until he led the movement to LIV Golf, Mickelson was the favorite to be captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team this September at Bethpage Black in New York. Now, Bradley will have that honor.

Fred Couples tees off on the first hole during Tuesday's practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Katie Goodale Imagn Images

Thursday, Round 1 tee times

7:40 AM Davis Riley, Patton Kizzire
7:51 AM Kevin Yu, Jhonattan Vegas, Nicolai Hojgaard
8:02 AM Mike Weir, Michael Kim, Cameron Young
8:13 AM Zach Johnson, Joe Highsmith, Chris Kirk
8:24 AM Danny Willett, Nicolas Echavarria, Davis Thompson
8:35 AM Bernhard Langer, Will Zalatoris, Noah Kent (a)
8:52 AM Cameron Smith, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai
9:03 AM Fred Couples, Harris English, Taylor Pendrith
9:14 AM Corey Conners, Brian Harman, Stephan Jaeger
9:25 AM Patrick Reed, Max Greyserman, Byeong Hun An
9:36 AM Robert MacIntyre, Billy Horschel, Nick Dunlap
9:47 AM Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee
9:58 AM Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley
10:15 AM Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester (a)
10:26 AM Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, Tyrrell Hatton
10:37 AM Tony Finau, Maverick McNealy, Thomas Detry
10:48 AM Cameron Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
10:59 AM Angel Cabrera, Laurie Canter, Adam Schenk
11:10 AM Jose Maria Olazabal, Thriston Lawrence, Brian Campbell
11:21 AM Bubba Watson, Matthieu Pavon, Evan Beck (a)
11:38 AM Tom Hoge, Matt McCarty, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
11:49 AM Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy, Hiroshi Tai (a)
12:00 PM Max Homa, Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun
12:11 PM Dustin Johnson, Nick Taylor, Justin Hastings (a)
12:22 PM Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Daniel Berger
12:33 PM Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Hojgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick
12:50 PM Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im
1:01 PM Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland
1:12 PM Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia
1:23 PM Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry
1:34 PM Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood
1:45 PM Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, Sam Burns

Friday, Round 2 tee times

7:40 AM Cameron Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
7:51 AM Angel Cabrera, Laurie Canter, Adam Schenk
8:02 AM Jose Maria Olazabal, Thriston Lawrence, Brian Campbell
8:13 AM Bubba Watson, Matthieu Pavon, Evan Beck (a)
8:24 AM Tom Hoge, Matt McCarty, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
8:35 AM Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy, Hiroshi Tai (a)
8:52 AM Max Homa, Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun
9:03 AM Dustin Johnson, Nick Taylor, Justin Hastings (a)
9:14 AM Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Daniel Berger
9:25 AM Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Hojgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick
9:36 AM Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im
9:47 AM Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland
9:58 AM Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia
10:15 AM Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry
10:26 AM Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood
10:37 AM Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, Sam Burns
10:48 AM Davis Riley, Patton Kizzire
10:59 AM Kevin Yu, Jhonattan Vegas, Nicolai Hojgaard
11:10 AM Mike Weir, Michael Kim, Cameron Young
11:21 AM Zach Johnson, Joe Highsmith, Chris Kirk
11:38 AM Danny Willett, Nicolas Echavarria, Davis Thompson
11:49 AM Bernhard Langer, Will Zalatoris, Noah Kent (a)
12:00 PM Cameron Smith, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai
12:11 PM Fred Couples, Harris English, Taylor Pendrith
12:22 PM Corey Conners, Brian Harman, Stephan Jaeger
12:33 PM Patrick Reed, Max Greyserman, Byeong Hun An
12:50 PM Robert MacIntyre, Billy Horschel, Nick Dunlap
1:01 PM Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee
1:12 PM Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley
1:23 PM Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester (a)
1:34 PM Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, Tyrrell Hatton
1:45 PM Tony Finau, Maverick McNealy, Thomas Detry

Masters coverage this week

Wednesday: Par 3 contest, noon, ESPN Plus; 2 p.m., ESPN
Thursday: Round one, 3-7 p.m., ESPN
Friday: Round two, 3-7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday: Round three, noon to 2 p.m., Paramount Plus; 2-7 p.m., CBS
Sunday: Round four, noon to 2 p.m., Paramount Plus; 2-7 p.m., CBS