Golf

The Players: Dustin Johnson tees it up with Rory McIlroy

Tee times and pairings for Thursday’s opening round of The Players Championship revealed

Rory McIlroy returns to action this week at The Players. Photograph: Rob Carr/Getty Images

Tue May 9 2017 - 13:26

Defending champion Jason Day plays with past champions Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson, while world number one Dustin Johnson tees it up with Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas in Thursday's opening round of The Players.

Day, the world number three, won last year’s event by four strokes after opening with a course-record 63.

The Australian helps kick off the tournament in the morning wave on Thursday with fellow top 10 players, Sweden’s Stenson (7th) and Rickie Fowler (9th), teeing off at the 10th tee at 1.16am in the so-called ‘fourth major’ of the season.

Another glamour group follows them to the tee 11 minutes later as world number five Jordan Spieth, number four Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and five-times major winner Phil Mickelson set off on the revamped Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

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Johnson, whose run of three victories in his previous three starts ended with a tie for second at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, hopes to get started on a new winning streak when he tees off at 6.52pm from the first tee in the afternoon wave.

World number two McIlroy, the FedExCup champion, celebrates a return to competition after a month off to get married.

They are preceded by groupings of Masters champion Sergio Garcia of Spain and former winners Adam Scott of Australia and Matt Kuchar, and an international trio of Briton Justin Rose, German Martin Kaymer and Spaniard Jon Rahm.

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell tees off with Emiliano Grillo and Greg Chalmers from the first hole at 1.27pm, while Shane Lowry is paired with Danny Willett and Bill Haas, they tee off from the first at 6.08pm.

The elite field at The Players will see numerous changes at the permanent site of the championship, including a new drivable par-four 12th hole, where eagles are possible if one risks the danger posed by a water hazard left of the green.

There is also a new hazard between the sixth and seventh, and subtle changes to several holes, including expanded greens and the removal of rough to promote creative recovery shots.

Front nine starters

12.10am – Zac Blair, Tyrone Van Aswegen, Blayne Barber

12.21am – Kevin Streelman, Lucas Glover, Louis Oosthuizen

12.32am – Kyle Stanley, Jason Kokrak, Patrick Cantlay

12.43am – Brian Harman, Russell Knox, Jhonattan Vegas

12.54am – Hudson Swafford, Brendan Steele, J.B. Holmes

1.05pm – Cameron Smith, Vaughn Taylor, Keegan Bradley

1.16pm – Tony Finau, Troy Merritt, Gary Woodland

1.27pm – Greg Chalmers, Graeme McDowell, Emiliano Grillo

1.38pm – Pat Perez, Cody Gribble, William McGirt

1.49pm – Marc Leishman, James Hahn, Matt Every

2.00pm – Kyle Reifers, Harold Varner III, Bernd Wiesberger

2.11pm – Ben Crane, Graham DeLaet, Grayson Murray

5.35pm – Martin Laird, Chez Reavie, Shawn Stefani

5.46pm – Roberto Castro, Patrick Rodgers, Michael Kim

5.57pm – Scott Brown, Ross Fisher, Matthew Fitzpatrick

6.08pm – Danny Willett, Shane Lowry, Bill Haas

6.19pm – Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka

6.30pm – Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer

6.41pm – Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar

6.52pm – Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy

7.03pm – Mackenzie Hughes, Jim Herman, K.J. Choi

7.14pm – Charl Schwartzel, Smylie Kaufman, Ernie Els

7.25pm – John Huh, Jamie Lovemark, Rafa Cabrera Bello

7.36pm – Freddie Jacobson, Chad Campbell, Ricky Barnes

Back nine starters

12.10am – Jason Bohn, Daniel Summerhays, Francesco Molinari

12.21am – Harris English, Bernhard Langer, Derek Fathauer

12.32am – Bryce Molder, Kevin Na, Mark Hubbard

12.43am – Aaron Baddeley, Fabian Gomez, David Lingmerth

12.54am – Jim Furyk, Billy Horschel, Vijay Singh

1.05pm – Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Paul Casey

1.16pm – Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson, Jason Day

1.27pm – Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Phil Mickelson

1.38pm – Adam Hadwin, Luke Donald, Alex Noren

1.49pm – Si Woo Kim, Daniel Berger, Branden Grace

2pm – Sean O’Hair, Ryan Palmer, Yuta Ikeda

2.11pm – Ian Poulter, Cameron Tringale, Tommy Fleetwood

5.35pm – Seung-yul Noh, Sung Kang

5.46pm – Boo Weekley, Robert Garrigus, David Hearn

5.57pm – Lee Westwood, Patton Kizzire, Andrew Loupe

6.08pm – D.A. Points, Ryan Moore, Chris Kirk

6.19pm – Kevin Chappell, Billy Hurley III, Brian Stuard

6.30pm – Jonas Blixt, Brian Gay, Tyrrell Hatton

6.41pm – Danny Lee, Robert Streb, Ben Martin

1:52 p.m. – Russell Henley, Rod Pampling, Kevin Kisner

7.03pm – Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson, Steve Stricker

7.14pm – Jason Dufner, Scott Piercy, Alex Cejka

7.25pm – Wesley Bryan, Charley Hoffman, David Toms

7.36pm – Johnson Wagner, Spencer Levin, Luke List

7.47pm – Jerry Kelly, Anirban Lahiri, Brett Stegmaier

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