AUGUSTA, Ga. – A day that will begin with a historic third member of the honorary starters will end with what may be Thursday’s most anticipated threesome.
Lee Elder will join Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player at 7:45 a.m. ET for the ceremonial first tee shots to start the 85th Masters. Elder was the first Black man to play the Masters in 1975.
At the other end of the tee sheet will be Jordan Spieth, who ended a long victory drought last week at the Valero Texas Open, with Cameron Smith, who finished second to Dustin Johnson last year, and Collin Morikawa at 2 p.m., the day’s final tee time.
Johnson highlights the early wave with a 10:30 a.m. time alongside Lee Westwood and amateur Tyler Strafaci. Also in the early wave will be the 10:42 a.m. threesome of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele.
This week’s Masters marks the 10-year anniversary of when McIlroy took a commanding lead into the final round but struggled to a closing 80 and tied for 15th place, while Rahm celebrated the birth of his first child last weekend.
Much of the focus on Day 1 will be on the final few groups, including Bryson DeChambeau, Adam Scott and Max Homa at 1:36 p.m., followed by world No. 2 Justin Thomas, Tony Finau and Louis Oosthuizen at 1:48 p.m.