Best Groups to Watch at the 2026 Masters

One of the most important things a golf fan does every year is plan out their Masters viewing times. It’s a tradition to have that hidden tab up at work. To avoid having to click out of a window too often, you need to know which tee times to prioritize.

You can find the full list of the 2026 Masters first- and second-round starting times here, but the ones you really need to know about are below. And by “you need to know,” I mean the ones I’ve deemed most important. This isn’t a democracy.

Masters Groups to Watch

All times Eastern (Thursday/Friday)

John Keefer and Haotong Li (7:40 a.m./10:51 a.m.)

In the grand scheme of things, is it really important to follow John “don’t call me Johnny” Keefer and Haotong Li? No. But it’s the first tee time of the Masters and you should know when to start refreshing the app. If you don’t tune into golf very often, Keefer is a promising up-and-comer who could actually make some noise in the first group.

José María Olazábal/Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen/Aldrich Potgeiter (8:02 a.m./11:15 a.m.)

One to track on the website, as there is a legitimate chance that young Aldrich has many drives that are 100-plus yards past Olazábal. My only quibble with this group is that they didn’t make it a full three-name starting time.

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Dustin Johnson/Shane Lowry/Jason Day (9:43 a.m./12:56 p.m.)

Three wily vets who have had varying degrees of success at Augusta National. DJ seems like a lost cause these days, but no one would be surprised if Lowry or Day made a run this week. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if Lowry said “f*** this place” for the umpteenth time. They’ll also be just in front of the meat of the tee times.

Patrick Reed/Tommy Fleetwood/Akshay Bhatia (9:55 a.m./1:08 p.m.)

The first group of the tournament where you can actually say that all three participants are true contenders. Reed started the year on a serious heater and is riding all the positive press he’s received since leaving LIV, Fleetwood is continuing to play some of the most consistent golf in the world, and Akshay is in the midst of a breakout campaign with the best golf he’s played to this point in his career. 

Bryson DeChambeau/Matt Fitzpatrick/Xander Schauffele (10:07 a.m./1:20 p.m.)

Arguably the best grouping of the first two rounds, these three have five major championship titles between them and are all serious contenders this week. Most importantly, Fitzy, one of the fastest players on the PGA Tour, is going to have to deal with two of the slowest players in professional golf after speaking out against slow play just a couple of weeks ago.

Hideki Matsuyama/Collin Morikawa/Russell Henley (10:19 a.m./1:32 p.m.)

With the conditions expected to be as firm as we’ve seen in years, the real ball-strikers are poised to stand out this week. This group could put on a show. Which version of Morikawa we see is still very much TBD, though, as he battles a back injury that forced him out of the Players Championship last month.

Rory McIlroy/Cameron Young/Mason Howell (a) (10:31 a.m./1:44 p.m.)

The reigning Masters champion, Players champion, and U.S. Amateur champion. That’s tough to beat. All eyes will be on this group for a variety of reasons, maybe the least of which is to see Howell’s game, but he should not be overlooked. The 18-year-old made a name for himself at Olympic Club and Cypress Point during the U.S. Am and Walker Cup and is poised to make a run at low amateur honors.

Sergio García/Aaron Rai/Jacob Bridgeman (12:27 p.m./9:02 a.m.)

Three guys who hit a heavy ball and should not be written off this week. Bridgeman is a first-timer, so his odds aren’t great, but after a strong start to 2026 you have to keep a close eye on him.

Jon Rahm/Chris Gotterup/Ludvig Åberg (1:08 p.m./9:43 a.m.)

The beginning of the afternoon string of big names, this trio has three entirely different swing styles and will make for some fascinating viewing. Åberg is looking to become just the fifth player in history — and the third in the last 80 years — to finish in the top 10 in each of his first three Masters appearances. Jordan Spieth (2014-2016) and Will Zalatoris (2021-2024) have both done so in the last 12 years.

Jordan Spieth/Justin Rose/Brooks Koepka (1:20 p.m./9:55 a.m.)

Winner of the “Anything Can Happen Award” for the first two days. You could tell me any of these three win or any of them miss the cut and I wouldn’t be surprised. If any of these guys walked away with a green jacket on Sunday, it would make for a hell of a story.

Scottie Scheffler/Robert MacIntyre/Gary Woodland (1:44 p.m./10:19 a.m.)

The penultimate group of the first round. This feels like an awful draw for a two-time Masters winner who has been battling some rust and whose wife just had their second child. An unassuming group late in the afternoon with the opportunity to turn around and finish Friday with another 36-hole lead is pretty enticing.

Enjoy the 2026 Masters!