The Masters 2021 Tournament starts on Thursday morning and the tee times reveal several exciting groupings in the first and second rounds. Dustin Johnson's quest to become the first man since Tiger Woods to win the tournament in consecutive years begins when he tees off alongside Lee Westwood and Tyler Strafaci.
The trio will get their tournament underway at 10:30 a.m. EDT, followed just over 10 minutes later by four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, current world No. 3 Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele. The world No. 1, Johnson arrives at Augusta National, Georgia, as the bookmakers' favorite and the defending champion after winning the tournament five months ago.
Johnson finished with a record score of 20-under-par 268 in November, when the coronavirus pandemic forced organizers to hold The Masters seven months later than scheduled.
Johnson, however, faces a significant challenge to hold onto his Green Jacket. Dominating Augusta National in consecutive years is historically difficult, with only Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods accomplishing the feat and no player successfully defending his title since Woods won in 2001 and 2002.
The 85th edition of The Masters gets underway at 8 a.m. EDT when Michael Thompson and Hudson Swafford tee off. A host of major winners, including 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett are due out on the course over the next two hours, before the first major group featuring two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, four-time major winner Brooks Koepka and Viktor Hovland get their tournament underway at 10:06 a.m. EDT.
The trio are followed by a group including Sergio Garcia, a winner at Augusta four years ago and Webb Simpson, before the groups featuring Johnson, Rahm and McIlroy tee off.
The latter pair will be followed on Tee No. 1 by 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, Daniel Berger and Paul Casey at 10:54 a.m. EDT, while Phil Mickelson's quest for a fourth Green Jacket begins at 1:12 p.m. EDT and Bryson DeChambeau will tee off at 1:36 p.m. EDT, alongside Adam Scott and Max Homa.
The trio are followed by world No. 2 Justin Thomas, whose finish has improved in each of his five Masters starts and who finished fourth in November after being tied for the lead after 36 holes, Tony Finau and Louis Oosthuizen. Four-time major winner Jordan Spieth, who won at Augusta in 2015, headlines the final group, which also features Cameron Smith and Collin Morikawa, last year's winner of the PGA Championship.
Round 1 selected tee times (All times EDT)
- 10:18 a.m.—Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- 10:30 a.m.—Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Tyler Strafaci
- 10:42 a.m.—Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy
- 1:12 p.m.—Phil Mickelson, Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler
- 1:24 p.m.—Patrick Cantlay, Sungjae Im, Matthew Fitzpatrick
- 1:36 p.m.—Adam Scott, Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa
- 1:48 p.m.—Tony Finau, Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Thomas
- 2 p.m.—Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith, Collin Morikawa
How to watch The Masters round 1 live on TV
- Live coverage: ESPN, 3 p.m.—7 p.m.
- Replay: ESPN, 8 p.m.—11 p.m.
- Highlights: CBS, 11:35 p.m.—11:50 p.m.
How to watch The Masters round 1 live online
- Featured Groups: 9:15 a.m.—7:30 p.m., ESPN+, Masters.com
- Featured Holes (4,5 and 6): 9:25 a.m.—6:45 p.m., ESPN+, Masters.com
- Featured Holes, Amen Corner (11, 12 and 13): 10:45 a.m.—6 p.m., ESPN+, Masters.com
- Featured Holes (15, 16): 11:45 p.m.—7 p.m., ESPN+, Masters.com
- Broadcast: 3 p.m.—7:30 p.m., Masters.com
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
