Rory McIlroy gets morning start to Masters title defence, Scottie Scheffler going out late

Rory McIlroy will launch his Masters title defence Thursday alongside world No. 3 Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell.

McIlroy, bidding to become only ‌the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion, will go out in the 15th group at 10:31 a.m. ET, two groups behind Bryson DeChambeau, Matt ​Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele.

Top-ranked Scottie ​Scheffler, looking to hold three major titles at the same time following wins at last year's PGA ​Championship and British Open, will tee off in the ⁠day's penultimate group ⁠with Scotland's Robert MacIntyre and ‌2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland.

Former Masters champion Jon Rahm, one of 10 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in the field at Augusta National this ⁠week, will set off at 1:08 p.m. in the company of Masters debutant Chris Gotterup and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg.

They will be followed ‌around the course by a trio consisting of five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who is playing his first major since leaving LIV, 2025 Masters runner-up Justin Rose and ​Jordan Spieth.

Nick Taylor will be the first of three Canadians to open play Thursday at 9:31 a.m. with Keegan Bradley and Ryan Gerard.

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Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion from Brights Grove, Ont., starts at 11:27 a.m. alongside Wyndham Clark and Mateo Pulcini.

At 12:44, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., will tee it up with Harry Hall and Michael Brennan.

Masters debutant John Keefer will hit the first competitive shot of the week ⁠when he sets out at 7:40 a.m. ET alongside China's Li ⁠Haotong after honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom ⁠Watson