Mostly clear skies and cool conditions greeted the early starters as the Masters got under way on Thursday at Augusta National with defending champion Rory McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler yet to tee off in the year’s first major.

Honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson led off one of the most anticipated days in golf in front of a large crowd of patrons gathered around the first hole as the sun rose above picturesque Augusta National Golf Club.

Notably absent from this year’s Masters are former champions and fan favourites Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Woods, 50, is on an indefinite break from golf while seeking treatment following a recent car crash while Mickelson, 55, cited a family health matter for his decision to withdraw.

McIlroy, looking to become the fourth man to retain a Masters title and first since Woods in 2001-02, is due to tee off at 10:31 a.m. ET (1431 GMT) with world number three Cameron Young and 18-year-old high school senior Mason Howell, who earned his spot by winning the 2025 U.S. Amateur.

World number two McIlroy arrived this week without carrying the burden of having never won a Masters after he beat Justin Rose in a playoff last year to become the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam of golf’s four majors.

“I know that I can do it now, so that should make it a little easier for me to go out and play the golf I want to play,” McIlroy, whose best finish in four starts this season was a share of second at Riviera in February, said this week.

‘GREAT LEARNING LESSON’

Scheffler, looking to hold three major titles at the same time following wins at last year’s PGA Championship and British Open, tees off in the penultimate group at 1:44 p.m. ET with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland.

Twice U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, one of 10 LIV Golf players in the 91-man field and who briefly held the lead in the final round last year, will be two groups ahead of McIlroy and playing with Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele.

“It was a great learning lesson,” DeChambeau said of last year’s final round. “Leading or being tied for the lead and having the lead, that last group final round, gave me a lot of perspective on it.”

Dry and firm conditions at Augusta National are expected to lead to faster greens and longer drives, a change from recent years when rain often softened the course.

Among those setting off early, with temperatures around 46 degrees Fahrenheit (7.8 degrees Celsius), are former Masters champions Jose Maria Olazabal, Angel Cabrera, Charl Schwartzel, Vijay Singh and Bubba Watson.