Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele headline 1st round Masters groupings

World No. 1 Scheffler had a marvelous month of March, winning both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship before tying for second at Texas Children’s Houston Open. His putting has been sensational of late, making him a favorite to capture his second Green Jacket at Augusta National this week. Doing so will allow Scheffler to cement himself as golf’s current alpha.

But McIlroy is intent on adding to his own legacy, which will be elite if he can finally win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam. His 2024 PGA Tour season has been spotty thus far, but the three-time FedEx Cup winner just finished third this past weekend at the Valero Texas Open. That might just be the momentum he needs to etch his name in history.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy carry a certain level of credibility since they have each claimed victory on the big stage, but Xander Schauffele is still seeking his first major championship. He is a seven-time PGA winner and a perennial contender at these grand events (top-10 finishes at all four majors). The 30-year-old fell one stroke short to Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters and is currently playing at a high enough level to contend once again.

Schauffele boasts six top-10 PGA Tour finishes in 2024, trailing only Scheffler (seven). One has to think he will eventually figure it out at the major level, perhaps as soon as this Sunday. Although the stakes might feel the highest in this grouping, there are several others that come with plenty of history and excitement.

Other notable groups at Augusta

In addition to changing lives in the present, Augusta will also allow fans to revisit the past on Thursday. Hideki Matsuyama is going to play alongside two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris– the man he edged out to win the 2021 Masters title. All three of those men would love to be overcome with nostalgia.

Of course, all eyes will be on the LIV golfers, whom fans desperately want to see competing against the rest of the world’s greatest golfers more than just a handful of times every year. Despite not winning a tournament since he joined the Saudi-backed tour, defending Masters champ Jon Rahm has been in good form during 2024. He is in a featured group that includes 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick.

If nobody from the aforementioned trios dons the Green Jacket, then there is a decent shot that the victor is one of the players set to tee off at 10:54 a.m. Viktor Hovland is in the midst of a disappointing year, but he possesses the talent and composure to bounce back in a huge way. Meanwhile, Cameron Smith and Wyndham Clark both know what it takes to sit atop the leaderboard at the end of a championship Sunday.

And who could forget about Tiger Woods. Although expectations are understandably low for the injury-ravaged and aging legend, he remains the biggest attraction on the golf course. The 15-time major winner (five at Masters) will start his latest comeback quest at 1:24 p.m., joining the oft-underrated Jason Day (2015 PGA Championship winner) and Max Homa.

With a field loaded with talent and historical implications, fans should brace themselves for another classic at Augusta. The drama will begin to build on Thursday.