Tiger Woods will begin his Masters campaign alongside Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele, while Rory McIlroy will tee off with rising star Tom Kim in search of career Grand Slam

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Tiger Woods will start his 25th appearance at The Masters alongside Norwegian Viktor Hovland and fellow American Xander Schauffele at 10:18am ET Thursday. 

The scheduled time is optimal for the 47-year-old the with the early start on the Thursday and later tee time for Friday, giving him the advantage of having more time to rest and recuperate between rounds as he continues to struggle with his right leg following his 2021 car crash. 

Hovland won the honor of Low Amateur at the 2019 Masters, the same year that Woods achieved the comeback of all comebacks to win his fifth Green Jacket, with the young Norwegian sharing a place in Butler Cabin with the 15-time major winner.  

Meanwhile, his close pal Rory McIlroy will begin his quest to complete the Grand Slam and win the Masters for the first time.

The Northern Irishman will tee off at 1:48pm ET alongside rising star Tom Kim and American Sam Burns. 

The tee times for the 2023 Masters tournament at Augusta National have been announced

Viktor Hovland won the Silver Cup for Low Amateur at the 2019 Masters tournament

Kim appeared to have been welcomed into Woods and McIlroy's inner circle Monday when he joined the star duo and 1992 champion Fred Couple for a practice around the back nine of Augusta National. 

Reigning champion Scottie Scheffler will begin his title defense in an All-American grouping at 1:36pm ET Thursday. 

The Texan will head out with Presidents Cup teammate Max Homa and American amateur Sam Bennett. 

Not a bad playing partner for Bennett, who won the 2022 US Amateur last summer at Ridgewood Country Club, to make his Masters debut with. 

World No. 3 Jon Rahm will be looking to keep pace with No. 1 Scheffler and No. 2 McIlroy as their three-way battle for the top spot continues. 

Rahm will be hoping to join his fellow Spaniards, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia among the winning ranks at Augusta when he tees off alongside reigning US PGA Champion Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, two groups behind Woods at 10:42am ET. 

Young hot shots two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, US Open champions Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris, who just missed out to Hideki Matsuyama in 2021, will head out at 1:24pm ET in what is likely to be an all-firing group. 

2015 champion Jordan Spieth, England's Tommy Fleetwood and Tony Finau will bring up the rear of Thursday's scheduling at 2pm ET. 

Tom Kim, paired with McIlroy, played a few holes with the Northern Irishman and Woods

Reigning champion Scottie Scheffler will begin his title defense in an All-American grouping

As is customary, honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson will take the traditional first tee shots bright and early at 7.40am ET. 

Nicklaus has participated in the tradition since 2010, Player since 2012 and Watson's first appearance was last year. 

The Masters committee has played it safe with the groupings. None of the scheduled groups seem set to cause any controversy with the LIV Golf rebels spread out throughout the field and none paired with any of the more outspoken critics of the Saudi-funded series. 

One of the most recent defectors and LIV's big name signing before its second season, Thomas Pieters, will play alongside fellow European Shane Lowry, however, with two expected to have been Ryder Cup teammates in September.