Golf

Rory McIlroy out last with Martin Kaymar and Bill Haas

The Masters: Shane Lowry in second last group with JB Holmes and Angel Cabrera

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the third tee during a practice round prior to the start of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the third tee during a practice round prior to the start of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Tue Apr 05 2016 - 17:58

Rory McIlroy faces a lengthy wait before he can begin his bid to become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam at Augusta National this week.

McIlroy will be the very last man in the 89-strong field to hit his opening tee shot in the Masters after being drawn in the final group at 2:01pm local time for Thursday's first round.

The four-time major winner, who was fourth last year, will partner Ryder Cup team-mate Martin Kaymer and America’s Bill Haas in the first two rounds of the year’s first major championship.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth, who is looking to join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo in winning back-to-back titles, gets his campaign under way at 9:48am alongside England's Paul Casey and US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau.

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World number one Jason Day tees off at 1:06pm with Matt Kuchar and Ernie Els, who is the lowest-ranked winner of any of the last 16 major championships. The South African was 40th in the world when he won the Open at Royal Lytham in 2012.

Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer will act as honorary starters at 8:05am, although Palmer will not hit a tee shot on the par-four first due to a shoulder problem.

American Jim Herman, who was the last man into the event by virtue of his victory in the Shell Houston Open, is the first man out in the tournament proper at 8:20am alongside Australia’s Steven Bowditch.

England’s Andy Sullivan will make his tournament debut with Harris English and Kevin Na at 10:32am, while new father Danny Willett tees off at 1:39pm with Sergio Garcia and Ryan Moore.

Thursday, first round (Starting at hole 1, Irish time)

1.20pm Jim Herman, Steven Bowditch

1.31pm Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Robert Streb, Derek Beard

1.42pm Larry Mize, Victor Dubuisson (Fra), Kevin Streelman

1.53pm Sandy Lyle (Sco), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Vaughn Taylor

2.04pm Webb Simpson, Chris Wood (Eng), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)

2.15pm Tom Watson, Charley Hoffman, Lee Westwood (Eng)

2.26pm Zach Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Cheng-de Jin (Chn)

2.37pm Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Jason Dufner, Patrick Reed

2.48pm Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey (Eng), Bryson De Chambeau (a)

2.59pm Justin Thomas, Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Dustin Johnson

3.21pm Vijay Singh (Fij), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Chris Kirk

3.32pm Harris English, Andrew Sullivan (Eng), Kevin Na

3.43pm Phil Mickelson, Marc Leishman (Aus), Henrik Stenson (Swe)

3.54pm Justin Rose (Eng), Jamie Donaldson (Wal), Daniel Berger

4.05pm Adam Scott (Aus), Kevin Kisner, Brooks Koepka

4.16pm Mike Weir (Can), Sammy Schmitz, Cameron Smith (Aus)

4.27pm Troy Merritt, Ian Woosnam (Wal), Byeong-Hun An (Kor)

4.38pm Darren Clarke (Nirl), Billy Horschel, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng)

4.49pm David Lingmerth (Swe), Mark O’Meara, Paul Chaplet (Crc)

5pm Keegan Bradley, Brandt Snedeker, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha)

5.22pm Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Davis Love III, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa)

5.33pm Danny Lee (Nzl), Russell Knox (Sco), Smylie Kaufman

5.44pm Branden Grace (Rsa), Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter (Eng)

5.55pm Bernhard Langer (Ger), Hunter Mahan, Romain Langasque (a) (Fra)

6.06pm Jason Day (Aus), Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els (Rsa)

6.17pm Graeme McDowell (Nirl), Fabian Gomez (Arg), Scott Piercy

6.28pm Jimmy Walker, Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

6.39pm Daniel Willett (Eng), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Ryan Moore

6.50pm Angel Cabrera (Arg), Shane Lowry (Irl), J.B. Holmes

7.01pm Martin Kaymer (Ger), Bill Haas, Rory McIlroy (Nirl)

Friday, second round

1.20pm Cameron Smith (Aus), Mike Weir (Can), Sammy Schmitz

1.31pm Ian Woosnam (Wal), Troy Merritt, Byeong-Hun An (Kor)

1.42pm Billy Horschel, Darren Clarke (Nirl), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng)

1.53pm Mark O’Meara, David Lingmerth (Swe), Paul Chaplet (Crc)

2.04pm Keegan Bradley, Brandt Snedeker, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha)

2.15pm Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Davis Love III, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa)

2.26pm Russell Knox (Sco), Danny Lee (Nzl), Smylie Kaufman

2.37pm Bubba Watson, Branden Grace (Rsa), Ian Poulter (Eng)

2.48pm Bernhard Langer (Ger), Hunter Mahan, Romain Langasque (a) (Fra)

2.59pm Jason Day (Aus), Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els (Rsa)

3.21pm Graeme McDowell (Nirl), Fabian Gomez (Arg), Scott Piercy

3.32pm Jimmy Walker, Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

3.43pm Daniel Willett (Eng), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Ryan Moore

3.54pm Angel Cabrera (Arg), Shane Lowry (Irl), J.B. Holmes

4.05pm Bill Haas, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Rory McIlroy (Nirl)

4.16pm Jim Herman, Steven Bowditch (Aus)

4.27pm Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Robert Streb, Derek Bard

4.38pm Larry Mize, Victor Dubuisson (Fra), Kevin Streelman

4.49pm Sandy Lyle (Sco), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Vaughn Taylor

5pm Webb Simpson, Chris Wood (Eng), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)

5.22pm Tom Watson, Charley Hoffman, Lee Westwood (Eng)

5.33pm Zach Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Cheng-de Jin (Chn)

5.44pm Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Jason Dufner, Patrick Reed

5.55pm Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey (Eng), Bryson De Chambeau (a)

6.06pm Justin Thomas, Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Dustin Johnson

6.17pm Vijay Singh (Fij), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Chris Kirk

6.28pm Harris English, Andrew Sullivan (Eng), Kevin Na

6.39pm Phil Mickelson, Marc Leishman (Aus), Henrik Stenson (Swe)

6.50pm Justin Rose (Eng), Jamie Donaldson (Wal), Daniel Berger

7.01pm Kevin Kisner, Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott (Aus)