Masters 2016 Tee Times and Pairings for Augusta National Golf Club Announced
Two days before the start of the 2016 Masters, tee times and playing groups were officially announced at Augusta National Golf Club on Tuesday in Augusta, Georgia.
Here is a rundown of some of the notable playing threesomes and when they will take to the tee box in each of the first two rounds, with a full listing available at Masters.com:
| 9:26 a.m. | 12:33 p.m. | Zach Johnson | Rickie Fowler | Cheng Jin |
| 9:37 a.m. | 12:44 p.m. | Louis Oosthuizen | Jason Dufner | Patrick Reed |
| 9:48 a.m. | 12:55 p.m. | Jordan Spieth | Paul Casey | Bryson DeChambeau |
| 9:59 a.m. | 1:06 p.m. | Justin Thomas | Emiliano Grillo | Dustin Johnson |
| 10:43 a.m. | 1:39 p.m. | Phil Mickelson | Marc Leishman | Henrik Stenson |
| 11:05 a.m. | 2:01 p.m. | Adam Scott | Kevin Kisner | Brooks Koepka |
| 12:22 p.m. | 9:15 a.m. | Charl Schwartzel | Davis Love III | Rafael Cabrera Bello |
| 12:44 p.m. | 9:37 a.m. | Bubba Watson | Branden Grace | Ian Poulter |
| 1:06 p.m. | 9:59 a.m. | Jason Day | Matt Kuchar | Ernie Els |
| 2:01 p.m. | 11:05 a.m. | Martin Kaymer | Bill Haas | Rory McIlroy |
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While Tiger Woods won't be in action, the Masters boasts a star-studded field that includes defending champion Jordan Spieth, three-time winner Phil Mickelson, two-time winner Bubba Watson, former champ Adam Scott, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy.
Although the start of Spieth's 2016 season hasn't been ideal, all eyes will be on the 22-year-old Texan after a dominant run in 2015.
As seen in this interview, courtesy of Golf on CBS, Spieth feels good about his chances ahead of the tournament:
That may have something to do with the fact that he closed the Shell Houston Open on a high note, especially on the greens, per the PGA Tour's official Twitter account:
According to Odds Shark, Spieth is third in terms of winning odds behind Day and McIlroy, the latter of whom is set to enter the Masters with a ton of momentum as well.
McIlroy aced the par-three 16th hole during a practice round, and the Northern Irishman is seemingly confident in his form, per BBC: "It was a nice practice round and a bit of a highlight, and it ended the match as well. ... I played well. I feel like my game is in good shape."
There is no shortage of potential contenders at Augusta, and those in charge of setting the tee times and groups certainly added to the intrigue of what already promises to be an extremely competitive tournament.
While it's easy to look ahead to Sunday's fourth round and envision so many exciting scenarios that could ultimately play out, the opening two rounds are key in terms of weeding out the also-rans.
Getting off to a great start is key, and the manner in which the top contenders handle the groups they're placed in will go a long way toward determining if they're in the mix Sunday.
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