Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy entered the 2016 Masters as arguably the two most compelling players in the field. Ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the world, both had a lot on the line this week. Spieth headed to Augusta National attempting to defend his Masters title. McIlroy arrived once again gunning for his first green jacket, which would complete the career grand slam. The two head to the weekend in first and second place, and to the delight of golf fans they'll be paired in the final pairing on Saturday.
The Spieth-McIlroy pairing is a dream scenario and a made-for-TV event. Both are fan favorites and are expected to battle head-to-head in majors for the next 20 years. They've dominated the golf landscape the last two years, winning a combined four major championships. While they've both had success, they haven't had it at the same time. Instead, Saturday will be the first time the two are paired on the weekend in a major championship.
It's also a rare event to have two accomplished players as young as Spieth and McIlroy paired in the final group on the weekend. In fact, it's never happened before.
Tomorrow will be the 1st time in #Masters history 2 multiple major champs, 26 or younger, played together in final pairing of weekend round.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) April 8, 2016
Friday was a brutal day for the field with strong winds. For the first time since 2007, no player carded a round in the 60s. While it was rough for the players, it all combined to give golf fans a dream pairing on Saturday.
Spieth and McIlroy will garner the majority of attention, especially if they play well and continue to battle for the lead. But there are several other notable names in contention: Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Jason Day are among the players within five strokes of the lead.
With 57 players making the cut, that means Augusta National member Jeff Knox will be back as the non-competing marker. He'll play with Bubba Watson on Saturday.
Here is a complete look at the third round tee times. All times Eastern.
Tee Time | Players | |
9:50 a.m. | Bubba Watson | |
10:00 a.m. | Justin Thomas | Kevin Kisner |
10:10 a.m. | Louis Oosthuizen | Patrick Reed |
10:20 a.m. | Victor Dubuisson | Webb Simpson |
10:30 a.m. | Bill Haas | Larry Mize |
10:40 a.m. | Anirban Lahiri | Martin Kaymer |
10:50 a.m. | Charley Hoffman | Adam Scott |
11:00 a.m. | Matt Kuchar | Thongchai Jaidee |
11:10 a.m. | Henrik Stenson | Hunter Mahan |
11:20 a.m. | Romain Langasque | Harris English |
11:30 a.m. | Rafael Cabrera Bello | Ian Poulter |
11:50 a.m. | Matthew Fitzpatrick | Keegan Bradley |
12:00 p.m. | Cameron Smith | Billy Horschel |
12:10 p.m. | Justin Rose | Jamie Donaldson |
12:20 p.m. | Emiliano Grillo | Kevin Na |
12:30 p.m. | Lee Westwood | Paul Casey |
12:40 p.m. | Angel Cabrera | Kevin Streelman |
12:50 p.m. | Davis Love III | Jimmy Walker |
1:00 p.m. | Chris Wood | Brooks Koepka |
1:10 p.m. | J.B. Holmes | Bernd Wiesberger |
1:30 p.m. | Bernhard Langer | Jason Day |
1:40 p.m. | Troy Merritt | Smylie Kaufman |
1:50 p.m. | Dustin Johnson | Daniel Berger |
2:00 p.m. | Shane Lowry | Bryson DeChambeau |
2:10 p.m. | Sergio Garcia | Danny Willett |
2:20 p.m. | Hideki Matsuyama | Kiradech Aphibarnrat |
2:30 p.m. | Brandt Snedeker | Soren Kjeldsen |
2:40 p.m. | Danny Lee | Scott Piercy |
2:50 p.m. | Jordan Spieth | Rory McIlroy |