The Players Championship 2014: Tee times, pairings for Thursday’s first round

With a $10 million purse and a loaded field, the Players Championship feels a lot like a major championship, even if it isn’t officially designated one. While the debate will continue whether it should be considered the fifth major, the simple fact is with a major-quality field, some excellent golf should be on the horizon. With so many notable names in the field, the early rounds will be loaded with featured parings.

The notable groups will begin hitting the course early Thursday morning with the pairing of Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson set to go off the 10th tee at 8:39 a.m. ET. They will be the last of three straight headline pairings beginning on the back nine. The trio of Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Graeme McDowell will tee off at 8:18 a.m. with Harris English, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy set to tee off at 8:29 a.m.

While there will be plenty of big names on the course in the morning, the afternoon also has its share of star-studded pairings. Adam Scott will play with Rickie Fowler and Steve Stricker, with the three set to tee off at 1:39 p.m. They’ll be followed off the first tee by Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson and Jimmy Walker. When Watson steps to the first tee, it will be the first time he’s played a tournament as the two-time Masters champ, following his victory at Augusta last month.

The big story heading into the Players Championship has been the condition of the greens at TPC Sawgrass. The misuse of a chemical during the winter led to multiple greens being in very rough shape. Conditions were so poor that several greens were closed during practice rounds. While players and officials appear confident the greens will be in at least adequate condition for the first round, there is no telling how they will hold up through the day with 144 players making their way through them. They may start the day smooth and rolled nicely thanks to additional maintenance, only to break down during the round. Greens are always worse late in the day, but if the TPC Sawgrass surfaces deteriorate even more than usual, it could be a major advantage for those playing in the morning.

Playing in the morning may be an advantage, but those early groups won’t get very much television time. First round TV coverage won’t begin until 1 p.m., likely around the time Mickelson and a few other big names are coming off the course. There will, however, be featured group and featured hole streams, allowing viewers to watch some of the early action live. Mickelson, Garcia and Johnson will be the featured group in the morning with a dedicated stream covering their rounds.

Here is a complete look at the first-round tee sheet. All times Eastern.