Rory McIlroy is set to defend his Masters title on Thursday in the company of world No. 3 Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell. McIlroy aims to join an exclusive group of players who have won back-to-back Masters titles. His tee time is at 10:31 a.m. ET, following Bryson DeChambeau, Matt ​Fitzpatrick, and Xander Schauffele.
Scottie ​Scheffler, the current top-ranked player, will tee off in the penultimate group with Robert MacIntyre and Gary Woodland. Jon Rahm, a former Masters champion and part of the LIV Golf circuit, will start his round at 1:08 p.m. alongside Chris Gotterup and Ludvig Aberg.
The first Canadian in action will be Nick Taylor at 9:31 a.m., followed by Keegan Bradley and Ryan Gerard. Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, will start his round at 11:27 a.m. with Wyndham Clark and Mateo Pulcini. Corey Conners will tee off at 12:44 p.m. with Harry Hall and Michael Brennan.
The weather forecast for Thursday indicates a range of 8°C to 23°C with partly cloudy skies and breezy conditions. McIlroy secured his historic win at last year’s Masters in a playoff against Justin Rose, becoming the sixth golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam.
The Masters field consists of 91 players, a tradition maintained by Augusta National since 1967, preferring fewer than 100 players. The golf course remains mostly unchanged, with minor adjustments like the reduction of the front of the 17th tee by 12 yards.
Among the newcomers, Chris Gotterup stands out as one of the 22 first-timers, having won four times before his Masters debut. Notable debutants include Ben Griffin and Jacob Bridgeman, both ranked in the top 20 globally.
Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite for this year’s Masters, followed by Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg, and Xander Schauffele. The absence of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson at Augusta National this year marks the end of an era, with both champions not participating due to personal reasons.
Fatherhood has brought a new perspective to players like Tommy Fleetwood, who shared a special moment at Augusta National with his sons, emphasizing the significance of family in his golf career. Fleetwood views his children as his primary motivation and values sharing his successes with them above all else.