The announcement of the first round pairings for The Masters is always highly anticipated. The good people that make up Augusta National Golf Club’s Board of Commissioners choose the pairings -- objectively or not remains open for debate -- and there are always some prime groups fans love.
Masters 2013 tee times and schedule: Top Pairings for First 2 Rounds at Augusta National
The first round pairings for The Masters were released on Tuesday afternoon. Here are some notable tee times to spotlight over the next few days.
Andrew Redington
Here’s a look at the 10 top pairings you should keep an eye on this Thursday (all times ET):
8:44am -- Tom Watson, Ryan Moore, Kevin Streelman -- The fact that Tom Watson, 63, is still playing in major championships with the “young guys” is impressive enough. Streelman is a winner on Tour this season already, and Moore is a fan favorite. While a winner won’t come out of this group, it is a great early round to watch.
9:17am -- Brandt Snedeker, Ryo Ishikawa, Justin Rose -- At the beginning of 2013 you could make the argument that any of these men could be an odds-favorite to win at Augusta. Snedeker and Ishikawa have cooled a bit over time, but Rose is still playing as well as he ever has.
9:39am -- Charl Schwartzel, Webb Simpson, Peter Hanson -- Schwartzel was the best player in the world (even if the rankings didn’t agree) for about three weeks to start the year. His Masters win in 2011 remains one of the most exciting in recent memory. Simpson has been average since his U.S. Open win in 2011, but has shown he can get hot for four rounds on the grandest stages.
9:50am -- Zach Johnson, Graeme McDowell, K.J Choi -- There was a time when I would put money on Choi every single Masters. He simply plays well at Augusta. Johnson is a past Masters winner, and McDowell is a major winner as well. In fact, McDowell should have three majors already.
10:34am -- Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Steven Fox (A) -- The defending champ teams up with amateur Steven Fox and the colorful Ian Poulter. While I don’t think Watson will repeat this year, Poulter will win a major sooner or later.
10:45am -- Tiger Woods, Luke Donald, Scott Piercy -- No explanation needed.
12:13pm -- Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Nick Watney -- If you’ve already forgotten that Els won last year’s British Open, you wouldn’t be alone. He’s been dead quiet since that victory, which means he’s primed to spark more attention with a victory this week. Stricker may be semi-retired, but he’s the poster-child of consistency in big events. Watney will win a major before his career is over.
12:24pm -- Ben Crenshaw, Matteo Manassero, Tianlang Guan -- It will be interesting to watch the dynamic of a group featuring one of the oldest competitors (Crenshaw) and two of the youngest. The 14-year old Guan will have a huge spotlight on him for at least the first two days. Manassero is a legit long-shot pick to win the whole thing.
1:30pm -- Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer -- Mickelson is about as streaky as a player can get, but he does have multiple Green Jackets in his wardrobe already. Oosthuizen lost in a playoff last year and Kaymer is another former major winner.
1:41pm -- Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Frederik Jacobson -- Rory is a hot topic heading into this week, and his strong finish at the Valero Texas Open is a promising sign. Bradley is a former major winner and Augusta fits his game.
Here are tee times for the full field on both Thursday and Friday.
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