Masters 2014 tee times and pairings: Rory McIlroy will play with Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed

Haters won’t have Tiger Woods to kick around at this year’s Masters but, even though the shadow of Sir Eldrick looms large despite his absence, the rest of golf’s luminaries will do the best they can to soldier on in the men’s first major tournament of the season.

For the first time since 1994, Woods is absent from the event he treasures the most and, for the first time since last March, he is likely to lose his world’s top ranking come Sunday night to one of three contenders in the field, each of whom is eager to take down the 14-time major champion.

Speaking of which, the trio of would-be No. 1s -- defending champion Adam Scott, reigning FedExCup and Race to Dubai titleholder Henrik Stenson, and Scott’s fellow Aussie Jason Day -- highlight a talent-laden roster of golf’s best.

Scott, No. 2 in the world, seeks to become the first repeat winner of the green jacket since Woods accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002. Should he do so, he’ll fulfill a childhood dream to climb to the top rung for the first time, though he had similar chances to topple Tiger twice recently and blew both of them. So there’s that.

Scott will join PGA champ Jason Dufner and Matthew Fitzgerald at 10:41 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Stenson (No. 3), who watched his opportunity to cadge the first seed go by the boards with a truly lackluster T54 finish at last week’s Shell Houston Open that included a third-round 76, goes off with Day with Dustin Johnson, who carded a WD last week, at 1:04 p.m. Day, T3 last year after blowing a two-stroke lead at the end, says he’s completely recovered from a thumb injury and hungrier than ever to become the second player from Down Under to don a green jacket.

Another featured group includes a healthy but nervous Phil Mickelson, who’ll go off at 1:48 p.m. with Ernie Els and reigning U.S. Open champion Justin Rose. That strained oblique muscle that bothered the popular Lefty, currently ranked fifth in the world, is no longer a thing, according to the three-time champ Mickelson enters the week after finishing T12 in Houston.

The last time Mickelson battled nerves heading to Augusta was last year and he finished a woeful T54. But something mystical that has nothing to do with Tiger’s faded aura, happens when he turns down Magnolia Lane so don’t count out the three-time Masters champ.

Rory McIlroy says he gained a great deal of confidence from a final-round 65 last week in Houston and believes he’s the guy to fill the void left by the injury-plagued Woods. The two-time major winner will do early Masters battle, starting at 10:52 a.m. with Masters rookies Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.

Two days and counting for the most anticipated race in golf. Here are the marquee groups and their opening round tee time:

Here’s the tee sheet for the first two days at Augusta: