One of the greatest golf weeks of the year is finally upon us, with the 2017 Masters Tournament getting started on Thursday morning. The first golfers start teeing off at Augusta National beginning at 8 a.m. sharp, with the final round starting around 2 p.m.
Masters 2017: TV schedule and coverage for Thursday’s opening round
ESPN will carry the first and second round coverage from Augusta.
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Just like in previous years, the first couple days of the tournament will air on ESPN, with coverage starting in the afternoon. Scott Van Pelt will be the main host for the network’s Thursday and Friday telecasts, along with golf analyst Curtis Strange, and Tom Rinaldi interviewing the players. Sage Steele will also host SportsCenter alongside Van Pelt from Augusta National.
Take a look at ESPN’s first round coverage schedule below, which includes the encore presentation.
Time: 3 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live streaming: WatchESPN
Encore presentation: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. on ESPN.
One of the biggest storylines of the tournament is one that emerged on Wednesday afternoon, with the news that Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, suffered a back injury. According to Johnson’s camp, he slipped on some stairs in his rental home in Augusta. Rinaldi also reported that it happened indoors on a wooden staircase while Johnson, this year’s Masters favorite, was wearing socks.
On Thursday morning, Johnson was reported to be “up and moving around.“ However, when after he went to the first tee to begin his round he made the decision to withdraw.
Weather has already been a significant factor in the practice rounds of the tournament. Monday and Wednesday’s rounds were suspended due to severe weather in the area. Some rain overnight, along with overcast skies forecasted for the day on Thursday, will alter the course’s condition a bit. The Weather Channel forecasts winds averaging 20 to 30 miles per hour, as well.
Below are tee times for some of the notable pairings, and the full Thursday and Friday tee time list can be found here.
- 9:28 a.m.: Adam Scott, Kevin Kisner, and Andy Sullivan
- 10:01 a.m.: Fred Couples, Paul Casey, and Kevin Na
- 10:34 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Martin Kaymer, and Matthew Fitzpatrick
- 10:45 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, and Si Woo Kim
- 10:56 a.m.: Brandt Snedeker, Justin Rose, and Jason Day
- 12:24 p.m.: Danny Willett, Matt Kuchar, and Curtis Luck
- 12:46 p.m.: Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson, and Tyrrell Hatton
- 1:41 p.m.: Rory McIlroy, Hideto Tanihara, and Jon Rahm
- 2:03 p.m.: Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, and Jimmy Walker
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