Masters 2016 Tee Times: Pairings and Predictions for Thursday
The 2016 Masters Tournament will feature 89 players all hoping to leave Augusta National Golf Club as the latest winner of arguably the most prestigious golf tournament in the world.
While some players obviously have better odds than others to win the green jacket, they are all tied heading into Thursday. Any one of the competitors in the field can put together four great rounds and leave as a champion. Of course, if a sleeper plans on shocking the world, he will have to get through some tough competition.
A number of high-profile players stand out from the field and could create an exciting week in Georgia, beginning with Round 1. Here is a look at all the groups set to battle with a breakdown of the most interesting pairings to watch.
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| 8:20 a.m. | Jim Herman | Steven Bowditch | |
| 8:31 a.m. | Trevor Immelman | Robert Streb | Derek Bard (a) |
| 8:42 a.m. | Larry Mize | Victor Dubuisson | Kevin Streelman |
| 8:53 a.m. | Sandy Lyle | Bernd Wiesberger | Vaughn Taylor |
| 9:04 a.m. | Webb Simpson | Chris Wood | Thongchai Jaidee |
| 9:15 a.m. | Tom Watson | Charley Hoffman | Lee Westwood |
| 9:26 a.m. | Zach Johnson | Rickie Fowler | Cheng Jin (China) (a) |
| 9:37 a.m. | Louis Oosthuizen | Jason Dufner | Patrick Reed |
| 9:48 a.m. | Jordan Spieth | Paul Casey | Bryson DeChambeau (a) |
| 9:59 a.m. | Justin Thomas | Emiliano Grillo | Dustin Johnson |
| 10:21 a.m. | Vijay Singh | Hideki Matsuyama | Chris Kirk |
| 10:32 a.m. | Harris English | Andy Sullivan | Kevin Na |
| 10:43 a.m. | Phil Mickelson | Marc Leishman | Henrik Stenson |
| 10:54 a.m. | Justin Rose | Jamie Donaldson | Daniel Berger |
| 11:05 a.m. | Adam Scott | Kevin Kisner | Brooks Koepka |
| 11:16 a.m. | Mike Weir | Cameron Smith | Sammy Schmitz (a) |
| 11:27 a.m. | Ian Woosnam | Troy Merritt | Byeong-Hun An |
| 11:38 a.m. | Darren Clarke | Billy Horschel | Matthew Fitzpatrick |
| 11:49 a.m. | Mark O'Meara | David Lingmerth | Paul Chaplet (a) |
| 12 p.m. | Keegan Bradley | Brandt Snedeker | Kiradech Aphibarnrat |
| 12:22 p.m. | Charl Schwartzel | Davis Love III | Rafael Cabrera Bello |
| 12:33 p.m. | Danny Lee | Russell Knox | Smylie Kaufman |
| 12:44 p.m. | Bubba Watson | Branden Grace | Ian Poulter |
| 12:55 p.m. | Bernhard Langer | Hunter Mahan | Romain Langasque (a) |
| 1:06 p.m. | Jason Day | Matt Kuchar | Ernie Els |
| 1:17 p.m. | Graeme McDowell | Fabian Gomez | Scott Piercy |
| 1:28 p.m. | Jimmy Walker | Soren Kjeldsen | Anirban Lahiri |
| 1:39 p.m. | Danny Willett | Sergio Garcia | Ryan Moore |
| 1:50 p.m. | Angel Cabrera | Shane Lowry | J.B. Holmes |
| 2:01 p.m. | Martin Kaymer | Bill Haas | Rory McIlroy |
Notable Groups
Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau
The obvious big name on the board is Jordan Spieth, the defending champion and 2015 Player of the Year. The 22-year-old broke out in a big way last year, winning not only the Masters but also the U.S. Open and earning top-five finishes at all four majors.
Although Jason Day has taken away some of the momentum from Spieth, the Texas native is still one of the favorites to win again at Augusta.
Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau is worth monitoring as one of the up-and-coming stars on the PGA Tour. Though still an amateur, he has already put together quite a resume as one of only five players ever to win the U.S. Amateur title and the NCAA championship in the same year. His quirky personality has also been on display this week, per Ryan Lavner of Golf Channel:
He might not be able to win any money at Augusta, but he can turn some heads with his play.
Paul Casey also shouldn't be overlooked after earning a tie for sixth at the Masters last year in his best majors finish in five years.
Thursday predictions: Spieth 68, Casey 71, DeChambeau 73
Phil Mickelson, Marc Leishman, Henrik Stenson
No one in the field knows this course better than Phil Mickelson, who has put together quite a career at the Masters. Not only does he have three wins, but he has also finished in the top five 11 times in 22 appearances, including his second-place finish last season.
Mickelson is so good at his preparation for Augusta that he even uses other tournaments effectively as warm-ups. Lefty had a respectable tie for 13th at the conclusion of the Shell Houston Open on Sunday but said he wasn't even trying hard to win, per Joel Beall of Golf Digest:
"It's tough to use this week as a barometer for next. To play this course effectively, you got to hit a lot of 3-woods, play more defensive. At Augusta, though, you have to step on the driver, and so I hit a lot more drivers here this week than I would if I were really focused on trying to win this week.
"
His mindset will keep him one step ahead of the competition, while his recent strong play should once again make him a top contender to win.
Henrik Stenson was focused on winning in Houston, ending the tournament in second place after getting third place the week before, tallying a score of 14 strokes under par in each event. Although he struggled a bit in last year's majors, he still has four top-five finishes at majors in the last three years.
The current No. 6 player in the world could benefit from a round with Mickelson to finally figure out Augusta.
Thursday predictions: Mickelson 67, Leishman 74, Stenson 71
Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els
Ernie Els might not be the player he once was, but the four-time major winner is still a crowd favorite and worth the watch in any round he plays.
Matt Kuchar is also difficult to get a read on during an up-and-down start to 2016. He has had some solid performances but can't seem to get any consistency going. This was an issue throughout 2015 as well, and it is tough to trust him to come through with a big showing.
On the other hand, Kuchar has had success at this event in the past and has the talent to make a run.
Still, the star of this group remains Day, who has become the No. 1 player in the rankings after an incredible stretch:
He has six wins in his last 13 events, including the PGA Championship, which was his first major title. Now, he will try to add to his run with a title at the Masters. Considering how dominant he has been as of late, it would be a surprise if he isn't at least in the running Sunday. The key will be getting off to a good start in Round 1.
Thursday predictions: Day 69, Kuchar 72, Els 75
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