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The Masters: 5 pairings that will be guaranteed must-see TV

By David Salituro

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 08: Tiger Woods of the United States walks up the ninth fairway passing the main leaderboard during the final round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 08: Tiger Woods of the United States walks up the ninth fairway passing the main leaderboard during the final round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 08: Tiger Woods of the United States looks on during a practice round prior to The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 08, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 08: Tiger Woods of the United States looks on during a practice round prior to The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 08, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /

Players like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy headline the pairings for the first two rounds of the Masters, beginning on Thursday.

On Tuesday afternoon, players and fans alike learned when everyone is teeing up to begin the Masters this week.

Eighty-seven of the best players in the world are in the field at Augusta National, from past champions long past their prime to amateurs just beginning their careers. Of course, some threesomes that begin play on Thursday will attract more attention than others.

These are the five groups worth following in the first two rounds of the 83rd Masters.

5. Tiger Woods, Haotong Li and Jon Rahm (11:04 a.m./1:49 p.m.)

A year ago at this time, Tiger Woods was still unsure whether he would ever be able to play on the PGA Tour again. He teed up at his first Masters in three years not knowing what to expect from his game after enduring four back surgeries and finished in 32nd place. In 2019, though, Woods’ expectations are a lot different after a comeback season on the PGA Tour. He won the Tour Championship in September and was runner-up in the PGA Championship.

“I feel like I can win,” Woods said on Tuesday. “I’ve proven that I can do it…I just feel like I’ve improved a lot over the past 12-14 months, but more than anything I’ve proven to myself that I can play at this level again.”

Woods’ first Masters title came back in 1997 when he announced his arrival as the most dominant player the game has ever known with a 12-shot victory. He won his fourth Green Jacket in 2005 and has the lowest scoring average in Masters history among players with at least 50 rounds. But he now hasn’t won the Masters in 14 years. It’s been more than a decade since his last major championship. At 43, Woods’ chances of winning at Augusta National are running out.

The long-hitting Spaniard Jon Rahm got to within two shots of the lead on the back nine on Sunday a year ago before hitting into the water on the 15th and falling back to fourth. He won Woods’ event, the Hero World Challenge, back in December and has five other top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year. He’s second on tour in strokes gained: off-the-tee and, at just 24, has the game to contend at Augusta National for years to come.

Haotong Li of China finished tied for 32nd in his first Masters appearance last year.

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