US Masters: Rory McIlroy gets early start to title defence, Scottie Scheffler goes out late
Northern Ireland star out to become only fourth player to go back to back, while world No 1 is bidding to hold three majors at once
Rory McIlroy will launch the defence of his first Masters title on Thursday alongside world No 3 Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell for the first two rounds at Augusta National in firm and fast conditions.
McIlroy, bidding to become only the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion, will go out in the 15th group at 10.31am Eastern Time (10.31pm Hong Kong time), two groups behind Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele, and just behind Americans Collin Morikawa and Russell Henley joining Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.
Young won last month’s Players Championship while fellow American Howell captured last year’s US Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco aged 18.
Second-ranked McIlroy completed a career grand slam by capturing the green jacket last year, but only Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods have won back-to-back green jackets, Woods the most recent in 2001-2002.
“Maybe not the largest field in golf but it’s the strongest,” said McIlroy, only the sixth man to do the career grand slam. “I know that I can do it now, so that should make it a little easier for me to go out and play the golf I want to play.”
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, looking to hold three major titles at the same time, will tee off in the day’s penultimate group with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and 2019 US Open champion Gary Woodland.