Masters 2026: Rory McIlroy Paired with Teen Amateur Mason Howell
Defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy will be joined by American amateur sensation Mason Howell for the opening two rounds of this year's prestigious tournament at Augusta National. The tee times for Thursday and Friday have now been officially confirmed, placing McIlroy in a high-profile group with the 18-year-old amateur and fellow golf superstar Cameron Young, who is still pursuing his first major championship victory.
Howell's Remarkable Rise in Amateur Golf
Mason Howell is creating significant buzz in the amateur golf world after securing his spot in the 2026 Masters by winning the U.S. Amateur title in August 2025. He clinched that championship with a commanding 7&6 victory over Jackson Herrington in the final match held at The Olympic Club. This triumph made Howell the third-youngest U.S. Amateur champion in the history of the competition.
The high school senior, who has not yet played collegiate golf but is committed to joining the Georgia Bulldogs this coming September, represents a new generation of talent breaking through at the highest level. His qualification for the Masters follows a long-standing tradition at Augusta National, where the reigning champion is paired with the current amateur title-holder for the first two rounds.
Star-Studded Groupings Across the Field
Meanwhile, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre finds himself in another marquee grouping, sandwiched between two major champions. He will play alongside two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler and former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland in what promises to be a highly competitive late-early pairing during the opening rounds.
The full tee times for the 2026 Masters showcase a diverse field of established professionals, rising stars, and talented amateurs from around the globe. The schedule includes early morning starts through to afternoon slots, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all competitors across both days.
Complete Masters 2026 Tee Times
Round 1 - Thursday
- 7:40 a.m. -- Johnny Keefer, Haotong Li
- 7:50 a.m. -- Naoyuki Kataoka, Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz
- 8:02 a.m. -- Jose María Olazábal, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Aldrich Potgieter
- 8:14 a.m. -- Ángel Cabrera, Sami Välimäki, Jackson Herrington (a)
- 8:26 a.m. -- Charl Schwartzel, Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox
- 8:38 a.m. -- Vijay Singh, Matt McCarty, Rasmus Højgaard
- 8:50 a.m. -- Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan, Casey Jarvis
- 9:02 a.m. -- Bubba Watson, Nico Echavarria, Brandon Holtz (a)
- 9:19 a.m. -- Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Jake Knapp
- 9:31 a.m. -- Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor
- 9:43 a.m. -- Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Jason Day
- 9:55 a.m. -- Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia
- 10:07 a.m. -- Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele
- 10:19 a.m. -- Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley
- 10:31 a.m. -- Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Mason Howell (a)
- 10:43 a.m. -- Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren
- 11:03 a.m. -- Sam Stevens, Sungjae Im
- 11:15 a.m. -- Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell
- 11:27 a.m. -- Mike Weir, Wyndham Clark, Mateo Pulcini (a)
- 11:39 a.m. -- Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Højgaard
- 11:51 a.m. -- Danny Willett, Davis Riley, Ethan Fang (a)
- 12:03 p.m. -- Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman
- 12:15 p.m. -- Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
- 12:27 p.m. -- Sergio García, Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman
- 12:44 p.m. -- Harry Hall, Corey Conners, Michael Brennan
- 12:56 p.m. -- J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton
- 1:08 p.m. -- Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Åberg
- 1:20 p.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka
- 1:32 p.m. -- Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas
- 1:44 p.m. -- Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland
- 1:56 p.m. -- Harris English, Marco Penge, Si Woo Kim
Round 2 - Friday
- 7:40 a.m. -- Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im
- 7:50 a.m. -- Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell
- 8:02 a.m. -- Mike Weir, Wyndham Clark, Mateo Pulcini (a)
- 8:14 a.m. -- Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Højgaard
- 8:26 a.m. -- Danny Willett, Davis Riley, Ethan Fang (A)
- 8:38 a.m. -- Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman
- 8:50 a.m. -- Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
- 9:02 a.m. -- Sergio Garcia, Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman
- 9:19 a.m. -- Harry Hall, Corey Conners, Michael Brennan
- 9:31 a.m. -- J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton
- 9:43 a.m. -- Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Åberg
- 9:55 a.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka
- 10:07 a.m. -- Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas
- 10:19 a.m. -- Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland
- 10:31 a.m. -- Harris English, Marco Penge, Si Woo Kim
- 10:51 a.m. -- John Keefer, Haotong Li
- 11:03 a.m. -- Naoyuki Kataoka, Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz
- 11:15 a.m. -- José María Olazábal, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Aldrich Potgieter
- 11:27 a.m. -- Angel Cabrera, Sami Valimaki, Jackson Herrington (a)
- 11:39 a.m. -- Charl Schwartzel, Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox
- 11:51 a.m. -- Vijay Singh, Matt McCarty, Rasmus Højgaard
- 12:03 p.m. -- Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan, Casey Jarvis
- 12:15 p.m. -- Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria, Brandon Holtz (a)
- 12:32 p.m. -- Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Jake Knapp
- 12:44 p.m. -- Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor
- 12:56 p.m. -- Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Jason Day
- 1:08 p.m. -- Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia
- 1:20 p.m. -- Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele
- 1:32 p.m. -- Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley
- 1:44 p.m. -- Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Mason Howell (a)
- 1:56 p.m. -- Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren
The 2026 Masters promises thrilling competition as defending champion Rory McIlroy faces the challenge of retaining his title while mentoring one of golf's most promising young amateurs. All eyes will be on Augusta National as these pairings take to the course for what is sure to be an unforgettable tournament.
