Golf

2023 Masters Tee Times: Who Are the LIV Golf Players Paired With the First Two Rounds?

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By
Luke Norris
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Luke Norris Sports Editor

Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting. Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes. In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke's work has appeared on  The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.

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Published04 Apr 2023

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LIV Golf players Talor Gooch, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Harold Varner III during a practice round ahead of the 2023 Masters

With the 2023 edition of the Masters upon us, there are obviously plenty of storylines at Augusta National this week. Can Rory McIlroy finish off the career Grand Slam? Will Scottie Scheffler join the highly exclusive club of back-to-back winners? Can Tiger Woods actually make a run at green jacket number six? But arguably the biggest story of the week is the ongoing war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

It’s no secret that not everyone wants the 18 LIV Golf players who’ve qualified in attendance. But no matter your feelings on these guys or LIV Golf as a whole, they’re here. But as tee times for the first two rounds were released on Tuesday morning, it’s clear that the organizers at the Masters are hoping to steer clear of any drama.

While golf fans may have wanted to see Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy in the same group or Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the same group, that was never going to happen. Now, some of these PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf pairings that could perhaps be construed as controversial could certainly still happen over the weekend as scores dictate who plays when.

But as you’ll see below, the LIV Golf guys were clearly placed in safe groups for the first two rounds.

Which LIV Golf players are at the Masters?

If you’re not sure exactly which LIV Golf players made it into the field, here’s a quick look at the list and the criteria under which each fell to get to Augusta.

  • Abraham Ancer (Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Bryson DeChambeau (U.S. Open champion last five years)
  • Sergio Garcia (Past Masters champion)
  • Talor Gooch (Top 30 in 2022 FedEx Cup, Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Dustin Johnson (Past Masters champion, Top 12 in 2022 Masters, Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Brooks Koepka (U.S. Open champion last five years, PGA Championship winner last five years)
  • Jason Kokrak (Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Phil Mickelson (Past Masters champion, PGA Championship winner last five years)
  • Kevin Na (Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Joaquin Niemann (Top 30 in 2022 FedEx Cup, Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Louis Oosthuizen (Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Mito Pereira (Top 4 finishers at 2022 PGA Championship, Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Thomas Pieters (Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Patrick Reed (Past Masters champion)
  • Charl Schwartzel (Past Masters champion, Top 12 in 2022 Masters)
  • Cameron Smith (The Open Championship winner last five years, The Players Championship winner last three years, Top 12 in 2022 Masters, Top 30 in 2022 FedEx Cup, Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022, Top 50 in OWGR in week prior to the 2023 Masters)
  • Harold Varner III (Top 50 in OWGR at the end of 2022)
  • Bubba Watson (Past Masters champion)

2023 Masters tee times: Who are the LIV Golf players paired with in the first two rounds?

LIV Golf players Talor Gooch, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Harold Varner III during a practice round ahead of the 2023 Masters
LIV Golf players Talor Gooch, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Harold Varner III walk down the 11th fairway during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 04, 2023 | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

And here’s a look at each LIV Golf player’s grouping for the first two rounds of the 2023 Masters. (All times Eastern.)

LIV Golf PlayerMasters Playing PartnersRound 1Round 2
Kevin NaMike Weir8:00 a.m.11:06 a.m.
Jason KokrakTalor Gooch, Sandy Lyle8:24 a.m.11:30 a.m.
Talor GoochJason Kokrak, Talor Gooch8:24 a.m.11:30 a.m.
Louis OosthuizenKevin Kisner, Adrian Meronk8:48 a.m.11:54 a.m.
Sergio GarciaKazuki Higa, Keith Mitchell9:12 a.m.12:24 p.m.
Patrick ReedAdam Svensson, Sahith Theegala9:24 a.m.12:36 p.m.
Thomas PietersMackenzie Hughes, Shane Lowry9:36 a.m.12:48 p.m.
Bubba WatsonMateo Fernandez de Oliveira, Seamus Power9:48 a.m.1:00 p.m.
Abraham AncerKeegan Bradley, Chris Kirk10:06 a.m.1:12 p.m.
Cameron SmithSungjae Im, Hideki Matsuyama10:54 a.m.2:00 p.m.
Charl SchwartzelTaylor Moore, Aldrich Potgieter11:18 a.m.8:12 a.m.
Bryson DeChambeauFrancesco Molinari, J.T. Poston11:30 a.m.8:24 a.m.
Mito PereiraBen Carr, Bernhard Langer11:42 a.m.8:36 a.m.
Brooks KoepkaDanny Willett, Gary Woodland11:54 a.m.8:48 a.m.
Harold Varner IIIK.H. Lee, Sepp Straka12:12 p.m.9:00 a.m.
Phil MickelsonTom Hoge, Si Woo Kim12:24 p.m.9:12 a.m.
Joaquin NiemannBrian Harman, Tyrrell Hatton1:00 p.m.9:48 a.m.
Dustin JohnsonCorey Conners, Justin Rose1:12 p.m.10:06 a.m.