Masters Trio Announced: McIlroy to Tee Off with Young and Amateur Howell

Defending champion Rory McIlroy is set to play alongside Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell in the first two rounds of The Masters. McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam with a thrilling playoff victory at Augusta National last year, is seeking to become the fourth player in history to secure consecutive Masters titles. The Northern Irishman will tee off at 10:31am local time on Thursday, with Young aiming to emulate the feat of winning The Players and The Masters in the same season. Meanwhile, world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is paired with Scotland's Bob MacIntyre and former US Open champion Gary Woodland on the opposite side of the draw. The 91-player field is set to contest the opening major of the year, with several high-profile groupings, including Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, and Brooks Koepka. The Honorary Starters ceremony will feature Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson on Thursday morning, ahead of the opening round getting underway at 7:40am local time.