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

The defending champion, Rory McIlroy, has been paired with Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell for the first two rounds of the Masters tournament. McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam with a dramatic playoff win at Augusta National last year, is aiming to become the fourth player in history to win back-to-back Masters titles. He will tee off at 10:31 am local time on Thursday, alongside Young, who is seeking to become the third consecutive player to win both The Players and The Masters in the same season. The youngest player in the field, Howell, completes the threeball, continuing the tradition of pairing the previous year's winner with the reigning US Amateur champion. A total of 91 players will compete in the opening major of the year, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on the opposite side of the draw, paired with Scotland's Bob MacIntyre and former US Open champion Gary Woodland. Other notable pairings include Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, and Brooks Koepka, as well as Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, and Matt Fitzpatrick. The Honorary Starters ceremony will take place on Thursday morning, featuring Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson, before the opening round gets underway at 7:40 am local time. The Masters will be streamed live on Sky Sports, with wall-to-wall coverage beginning at 2 pm on Thursday and continuing throughout the tournament.