Masters tee times unveiled: Scheffler joins British fan favorite

Defending Masters Champion Rory McIlroy to Play with Amateur Mason Howell

Rory McIlroy, the defending Masters champion, will be joined by an unexpected partner for the first two rounds of this year’s tournament at Augusta National. The 18-year-old American amateur Mason Howell will join McIlroy and fellow star Cameron Young in the opening group. This pairing highlights a long-standing tradition at the Masters, where the reigning champion is paired with the amateur title-holder.

Howell, who stands at 6 feet 4 inches tall, has been making waves in the world of amateur golf. He qualified for the 2026 Masters after winning the U.S. Amateur in August 2025, defeating Jackson Herrington 7&6 in the final at The Olympic Club. As a high school senior, he is set to join the Georgia Bulldogs in September but has yet to play collegiate golf. His victory made him the third-youngest U.S. Amateur champion in history.

Tee Times for the 2026 Masters

The tee times for Thursday and Friday have been confirmed, offering fans a chance to watch some of the biggest names in golf. McIlroy’s group will start at 10:31 a.m. ET on Thursday, alongside Young and Howell. Other notable pairings include:

Scottie Scheffler, two-time Masters champion, and Gary Woodland, former US Open champion, will be grouped together.
A star-studded late-early group features Robert MacIntyre sandwiched between Scheffler and Woodland.

Round 1 Tee Times (Thursday)

7:40 a.m. – Johnny Keefer, Haotong Li
7:50 a.m. – Naoyuki Kataoka, Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz
8:02 a.m. – Jose María Olazábal, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Aldrich Potgieter
8:14 a.m. – Ángel Cabrera, Sami Välimäki, Jackson Herrington (a)
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, Nico Echavarria, Brandon Holtz (a)
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 (a)
10:43 a.m. – Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren
11:03 a.m. – Sam Stevens, Sungjae Im
11:15 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell
11:27 a.m. – Mike Weir, Wyndham Clark, Mateo Pulcini (a)
11:39 a.m. – Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Højgaard
11:51 a.m. – Danny Willett, Davis Riley, Ethan Fang (a)
12:03 p.m. – Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman
12:15 p.m. – Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
12:27 p.m. – Sergio García, Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman
12:44 p.m. – Harry Hall, Corey Conners, Michael Brennan
12:56 p.m. – J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell 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

Round 2 Tee Times (Friday)

7:40 a.m. – Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im
7:50 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell
8:02 a.m. – Mike Weir, Wyndham Clark, Mateo Pulcini (a)
8:14 a.m. – Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Højgaard
8:26 a.m. – Danny Willett, Davis Riley, Ethan Fang (A)
8:38 a.m. – Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman
8:50 a.m. – Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
9:02 a.m. – Sergio Garcia, Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman
9:19 a.m. – Harry Hall, Corey Conners, Michael Brennan
9:31 a.m. – J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton
9:43 a.m. – Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Åberg
9:55 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka
10:07 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas
10:19 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland
10:31 a.m. – Harris English, Marco Penge, Si Woo Kim
10:51 a.m. – John Keefer, Haotong Li
11:03 a.m. – Naoyuki Kataoka, Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz
11:15 a.m. – José María Olazábal, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Aldrich Potgieter
11:27 a.m. – Angel Cabrera, Sami Valimaki, Jackson Herrington (a)
11:39 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox
11:51 a.m. – Vijay Singh, Matt McCarty, Rasmus Højgaard
12:03 p.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan, Casey Jarvis
12:15 p.m. – Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria, Brandon Holtz (a)
12:32 p.m. – Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Jake Knapp
12:44 p.m. – Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor
12:56 p.m. – Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Jason Day
1:08 p.m. – Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia
1:20 p.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele
1:32 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley
1:44 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Mason Howell (a)
1:56 p.m. – Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren

Honorary Starters and Tournament Details

The tournament will begin with the honorary starters on Thursday morning. This year’s group includes six-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus, 86, three-time champion Gary Player, 90, and two-time winner Tom Watson, 76. The field consists of 91 players, maintaining the Masters tradition of keeping the number under 100 since 1967.

Broadcasting Schedule

Thursday and Friday rounds will start at 1 p.m. ET on Prime Video, the latest broadcast partner for Augusta National. ESPN will take over at 3 p.m. on weekday rounds through 7:30 p.m. On the weekend, Paramount+ will begin coverage at noon, with CBS carrying live tournament coverage from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Absences and Personal Matters

Tiger Woods will miss the Masters for the second consecutive year. He was arrested in March for driving while intoxicated, though no alcohol was found in his system. Woods has entered a plea of not guilty and is taking an indefinite leave to seek treatment. His absence has sparked discussion, with some questioning why he was behind the wheel.

Phil Mickelson is also missing the Masters for only the third time as a professional. He cited personal health matters within his family as the reason for his absence, having already missed four of five LIV Golf events due to the situation.

This year’s Masters promises to be an exciting event, with a mix of seasoned stars and emerging talents. The combination of traditional pairings, new broadcasting arrangements, and notable absences adds to the anticipation surrounding the tournament.