Masters Tournament: Third-Round Pairings and Tee Times Announced

The 90th Masters tournament is underway at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, with Rory McIlroy holding a commanding six-shot lead after the second round. This marks the largest 36-hole advantage in the tournament's history, as McIlroy aims to become the first player since Tiger Woods to secure back-to-back Masters titles. McIlroy will be paired with Sam Burns in the final group for the third round, following his impressive performance that saw him birdie six of his last seven holes to reach 12 under, a record halfway total for a defending champion. Former Masters champion Patrick Reed is six shots behind, chasing his second major title, while McIlroy's Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and Tommy Fleetwood are a further shot back at the halfway stage. Fifty-four players have made the cut, including former Masters champion Jon Rahm, who progressed on the cut mark after posting a two-under 70 on Friday. The third-round pairings and tee times are as follows: 1431 - Kurt Kitayama, Alex Noren; 1442 - Charl Schwartzel, Rasmus Hojgaard; 1453 - Jon Rahm, Si Woo Kim; 1504 - Brian Harman, Corey Conners; 1515 - Sergio Garcia, Maverick McNealy; 1526 - Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland; 1537 - Justin Thomas, Gary Woodland; 1548 - Samuel Stevens, Adam Scott; 1610 - Marco Penge, Matt McCarty; 1621 - Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka; 1632 - Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman; 1643 - Patrick Cantlay, Sungjae Im; 1654 - Dustin Johnson, Russell Henley; 1705 - Harris English, Ryan Gerard; 1716 - Ludvig Åberg, Scottie Scheffler; 1738 - Collin Morikawa, Brian Campbell; 1749 - Nick Taylor, Matt Fitzpatrick; 1800 - Hideki Matsuyama, Michael Brennan; 1811 - Jake Knapp, Xander Schauffele; 1822 - Ben Griffin, Max Homa; 1833 - Chris Gotterup, Brooks Koepka; 1855 - Jason Day, Cameron Young; 1906 - Haotong Li, Kristoffer Reitan; 1917 - Wyndham Clark, Tyrrell Hatton; 1928 - Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood; 1939 - Patrick Reed, Justin Rose; 1950 - Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns. The weather forecast indicates no rain throughout the weekend, with rising temperatures each day. Comprehensive coverage of the tournament will continue on Sky Sports Golf, starting at 4:30 pm on Saturday, with Featured Group action and regular updates from the course available until the global broadcast window begins at 5 pm. The Amen Corner stream will also be available, focusing on the famous three-hole stretch from the 11th, along with a feed of the fourth, fifth, and sixth holes, and another stream covering the 15th and 16th holes. Can McIlroy defend his title at The Masters? Watch the opening major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports.