For the 87th time, Augusta National Golf Club will host the biggest event in golf and Rory McIlroy will start out on day one alongside Tom Kim and Sam Burns.
Holywood native McIlroy is bidding to finally complete the career grand slam and starts as second favourite behind defending champion Scottie Scheffler at Augusta National.
Only three golfers – Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo (1989 and 1990) and Jack Nicklaus (1965 and 1966) – have successfully defended their Masters title from the previous year.
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Another Northern Ireland native has also won the right to tee it up at the Masters - Belfast amateur Matthew McClean.
He will play alongside VJ Singh and Scott Stallings for the first two days at the most famous venue in golf.
Golf icon Woods said yesterday that McIlroy will “definitely” win the Masters during his career to complete the grand slam.
While a relaxed McIlroy said he felt he had all the ingredients necessary to triumph at Augusta National and has shed scar tissue from previous failures, Woods was unequivocal on the subject.
“It’s just a matter of time,” the five-time Masters winner said. “Rory has the talent. He has the game. He has all the tools to win here.
“A lot of things have to happen to win at this golf course. A lot of things have to go right. I think Rory has shown over the years he’s learned how to play this golf course and you just have to understand how to play it.
“He’s been there. Last year he made a great run, put himself there. But whether it’s this year or next or whenever it comes, he will get it done and he will have a career grand slam. It will definitely happen.”
Since winning the Open Championship in 2014, McIlroy has had eight attempts to win a green jacket and join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods in having won all four major titles.
His best finish of second came last year thanks to a stunning closing 64 which included an eagle and six birdies, the last coming from a greenside bunker on the 18th and prompting an exuberant celebration.
2023 Masters round 1 tee times (US time - +5 hours)
8:00 a.m. – Mike Weir, Kevin Na
8:12 a.m. – Vijay Singh, Scott Stallings, Matthew McClean (A)
8:24 a.m. – Sandy Lyle, Jason Kokrak, Talor Gooch
8:36 a.m. – Fred Couples, Russell Henley, Alex Noren
8:48 a.m. – Adrian Meronk, Kevin Kisner, Louis Oosthuizen
9:00 a.m. – Larry Mize, Min Woo Lee, Harrison Crowe (A)
9:12 a.m. – Sergio Garcia, Kazuki Higa, Keith Mitchell
9:24 a.m. – Patrick Reed, Adam Svensson, Sahith Theegala
9:36 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Mackenzie Hughes, Thomas Pieters
9:48 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Seamus Power, Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira (A)
10:06 a.m. – Abraham Ancer, Chris Kirk, Keegan Bradley
10:18 a.m. – Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele
10:30 a.m. – Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Kurt Kitayama
10:42 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Cameron Young
10:54 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith, Sungjae Im
11:06 a.m. – Jose Maria Olazabal, Cameron Champ
11:18 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Taylor Moore, Aldrich Potgieter (A)
11:30 a.m. – J. T. Poston, Francesco Molinari, Bryson DeChambeau
11:42 a.m. – Bernhard Langer, Mito Pereira, Ben Carr (A)
11:54 a.m. – Danny Willett, Gary Woodland, Brooks Koepka
12:12 p.m. – Sepp Straka, Harold Varner III, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
12:24 p.m. – Phil Mickelson, Tom Hoge, Si Woo Kim
12:36 p.m. – Billy Horschel, Harris English, Ryan Fox
12:48 p.m. – Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Gordon Sargent (A)
1:00 p.m. – Brian Harman, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton
1:12 p.m. – Dustin Johnson, Corey Conners, Justin Rose
1:24 p.m. – Matthew Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris
1:36 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Sam Bennett (A)
1:48 p.m. – Tom Kim, Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns
2:00 p.m. – Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau
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