Tiger Woods will have a chance to exact a measure of revenge on his 2010 Chevron World Challenge nemesis Graeme McDowell when the two go at it in the first two rounds of the Masters. With tee times announced Tuesday, the Woods/GMac/Robert Allenby group (10:41 a.m. Thursday) certainly caught the attention of many.
McDowell, you may recall, beat Woods in a playoff at Tiger’s own tourney last December. While Woods, who entered the final round with a four-stroke cushion, may be seeking to even the score with McDowell, there was the whole game-within-a-game between GMac and Tiger’s caddy during the Chevron tilt. McDowell shot Steve Williams a “not so fast” glance after Woods’ bagman stripped off his looper’s bib before the eventual winner drained a 15-footer to send the event into overtime.
Masters fans will want to keep their sights on several other marquee groupings as well.
Thursday’s 8:40 a.m. tee time represents the present and future of the game, with Dustin Johnson squaring off with Nick Watney. The winner of this year’s Cadillac Championship, with five top 10s in six events, and ranked first in all-around stats, Watney is sizzling. Runner-up to Watney at the Cadillac, the long-hitting Johnson (third on tour, with an average of 310 yards off the tee) is always fun to watch. Adam Scott, whom analysts have yet to weary of chiding for going to the broomstick putter, rounds out the threesome.
Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, and Jason Day make up another group of young studs, set to tee off at 9:24 a.m. Thursday. McIlroy is ranked ninth and has six top-10 finishes this season, while Fowler has his eye on becoming the fourth player to win the Masters in his first try.
The world’s No. 1 and No. 2, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, will tee off at 10:19 a.m. with the PGA Tour’s 2010 money winner Matt Kuchar. Kuchar has six top-10 finishes this year, while the Europeans will be jousting to maintain their standings atop the official world golf rankings.
And then there’s Phil. Fresh off his three-shot win at last week’s Houston Open and the favorite to don his second consecutive green jacket, Mickelson will go off at 1:48 p.m. with Geoff Ogilvy and, as is Masters custom, U.S. Amateur champ and Massachusetts native, Peter Uihlein.
Click here for a list of all first- and second-round tee times.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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