All the Masters tee times Thursday: When does Rory McIlroy start?
AUGUSTA — The 2026 Masters Tournament begins Thursday with Rory McIlroy aiming to defend his title at Augusta National.
McIlroy tees off at 10:31 a.m. in a group that includes Thomasville amatuer Mason Howell.
The tournament will go off without either Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson in the field for the first time since 1994.
Former champions Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Reed are among the betting favorites alongside those in the hunt for a first green jacket, including Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young.
The Masters 2026
The 90th edition of the Masters Tournament tees off at Augusta National Golf Club this week. Here’s everything you need to follow the action.
START HERE: Your complete Masters guide Tee times, leaderboard, how to watch and what to know
THE FIELD: An appreciation for Scottie Scheffler’s quiet stardom | These 5 players should compete for first green jacket | No Tiger? No Phil? No biggie, the kids say | Mason Howell’s path to Augusta | 9 top-ranked newcomers making their debut | Scottie Scheffler heavily favored over elite contenders | Oldest vs. youngest golfers at the Masters
FIRST ROUND: All the Masters tee times Thursday | Mason Howell will share Masters start with Rory McIlroy
WHAT TO WATCH: Augusta National can bring top players to their knees | Rival league presence will be felt at Augusta National
AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL: Plan your practice rounds like a pro | 10 Masters terms to know before you go | Don’t sleep on these 5 hidden spots at Augusta National
THE TRADITIONS (FOOD): Inside Rory McIlroy’s Champions Dinner menu | Make The Masters’ iconic 3-ingredient cocktail at home | Everything to know about pimento cheese this Masters week
PHOTOS: Contenders warm up | Practice rounds tee off
MASTERS GNOME: Masters gnome craze hits ‘Hunger Games’ levels amid final-edition rumors
2026 Masters Thursday first round tee times and groups
- 7:40 a.m.: John Keefer, Haotong Li
- 7:50 a.m.: Naoyuki Kataoka, Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz
- 8:02 a.m.: José María Olazábal, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Aldrich Potgieter
- 8:14 a.m.: Angel Cabrera, Sami Valimaki, Jackson Herrington (amateur)
- 8:26 a.m.: Charl Schwartzel, Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox
- 8:38 a.m.: Vijay Singh, Matt McCarty, Rasmus Højgaard
- 8:50 a.m.: Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan, Casey Jarvis
- 9:02 a.m.: Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria, Brandon Holtz (amateur)
- 9:19 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Jake Knapp
- 9:31 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor
- 9:43 a.m.: Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Jason Day
- 9:55 a.m.: Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia
- 10:07 a.m.: Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele
- 10:19 a.m.: Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley
- 10:31 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Mason Howell (amateur)
- 10:43 a.m.: Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren
- 11:03 a.m.: Samuel Stevens and Sungjae Im
- 11:15 a.m.: Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell
- 11:27 a.m.: Mike Weir, Wyndham Clark, Mateo Pulcini (amateur)
- 11:39 a.m.: Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Højgaard
- 11:51 a.m.: Danny Willett, Davis Riley, Ethan Fang (amateur)
- 12:03 p.m.: Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman
- 12:15 p.m.: Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee, Fifa Laopakdee (amateur)
- 12:27 p.m.: Sergio Garcia, Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman
- 12:44 p.m.: Harry Hall, Corey Conners, Michael Brennan
- 12:56 p.m.: J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrell Hatton
- 1:08 p.m.: Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Åberg
- 1:20 p.m.: Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka
- 1:32 p.m.: Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas
- 1:44 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland
- 1:56 p.m.: Harris English, Marco Penge, Si Woo Kim
About the Author
Fletcher Page is Athens bureau chief covering northeast Georgia for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
