The 2019 Masters gets underway at the Augusta National on Thursday afternoon. Rory McIlroy heads into the week as tournament favourite in sparkling form following five straight top-six finishes and victory in the Players Championship. The Northern Irishman of course needs only the Green Jacket to complete a personal career grand slam. McIlroy will tee it up with last year’s runner-up Rickie Fowler and Australian Cameron Smith over the first two days. Tiger Woods gets his quest for a 15th Major title and a fifth Masters crown underway in the group before while defending champion Patrick Reed gets his title defence underway in the company of Webb Simpson and US Amateur champion Viktor Hovland. Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Show all 26 1 /26 Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Who will win the 2019 PGA Championship? Reuters Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Jason Dufner The 2013 PGA Champion has recently come into form Reuters Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Henrik Stenson (SWE) Another who is always there or thereabouts and has the game to succeed. Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Paul Casey (ENG) Defended the Valspar Championship this season before an off-colour performance at Augusta Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Hideki Matsuyama (JAP) In reasonable form as hunts for a first Major. AP Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Patrick Reed (USA) Has flourished since working with David Leadbetter and has already claimed victory at Bethpage before. Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Matt Kuchar (USA) Finished T12th at the Masters and 2nd at the RBC Heritage Open since. Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Ian Poulter (ENG) Fell just short at Augusta. Has since added two top-10 finishes. Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Tony Finau (USA) Also came within touching distance at Augusta. Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Max Homa (USA) Surprise winner of the Wells Fargo Championship USA TODAY Sports Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Xander Schauffele (USA) Finished T2 at Augusta and is well-suited to Bethpage. EPA Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Phil Mickelson (USA) Has been in wildly inconsistent form but the veteran can never be ruled out. Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Bubba Watson (USA) Has been in good form and mounted a late charge at The Masters Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) Yet to taste Major success but Fleetwood has the game to make himself a contender in New York EPA Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Jason Day (AUS) Has been playing well since the turn of the year Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Justin Rose (ENG) Had a woeful two days at Augusta, missing the cut, but is normally Mr Consistency when it comes to the big events EPA Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Jordan Spieth (USA) One of the game's most natural talents Spieth is always one to watch come Major time, even if he has struggled so desperately for form Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Rickie Fowler (USA) Perhaps the best player on Tour not to win a Major, Fowler will be desperate to break his duck Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Justin Thomas (USA) A former world number one Thomas has a cool head for the biggest moments Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Francesco Molinari (ITA) Came so close to clinching victory at Augusta. Who knows hwo those scars will tell? Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Jon Rahm (ESP) The fiery Spaniard has all the tools to win a Major. Will his temperament hold up? Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Bryson DeChambeau (USA) Golf's very own 'Mad Scientist' has everything to win at Bethpage Getty Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Dustin Johnson (USA) Has the long-hitting game for Bethpage as long as he can align his radar Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Brooks Koepka (USA) A double Major-winner a year ago, you can't rule out the big-hitting American, especially after being edged out at Augusta Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Rory McIlroy (NIR) Needs to shed the demons of another disatisfying performance at Augusta Getty Images Who will win the PGA Championship 2019? Tiger Woods (USA) Can one of sport's greatest comebacks continue to new heights? EPA Here are the first round tee times: (USA unless stated, all times BST, x denotes amateurs) 1.30pm Adam Long, Andrew Landry, Corey Conners (Can) 1.41pm Ian Woosnam (Wal), Keith Mitchell, Kevin Tway 1.52pm Shane Lowry (Irl), Mike Weir (Can), Kevin O'Connell 2.03pm Angel Cabrera (Arg), Aaron Wise, Justin Harding (Rsa) 2.14pm Danny Willett (Eng), Brandt Snedeker, Takumi Kanaya (a) (Jpn) 2.25pm Fred Couples, Si Woo Kim (Kor), J.B. Holmes 2.36pm Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Branden Grace (Rsa), Lucas Bjerregaard (Den) 2.47pm Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Charles Howell III, Eddie Pepperell (Eng) Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler will tee off together (Getty) 2.58pm Sergio Garcia (Spa), Tony Finau, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 3.09pm Adam Scott (Aus), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Kyle Stanley 3.31pm Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Viktor Hovland (a) (Nor) 3.42pm Charley Hoffman, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Marc Leishman (Aus) 3.53pm Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland 4.04pm Tiger Woods, Haotong Li (Chn), Jon Rahm (Spa) 4.15pm Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith (Aus) 4.26pm Michael Kim, Sandy Lyle (Sco), Patton Kizzire 4.37pm Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Devon Bling ✕ Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events 4.48pm Jimmy Walker, Larry Mize, Stewart Cink 4.59pm Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Kevin Na, Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 5.10pm Bernhard Langer (Ger), Matt Wallace (Eng), Alvaro Ortiz (Mex) 5.32pm Alex Noren (Swe), Keegan Bradley, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng) 5.43pm Billy Horschel, Vijay Singh (Fij), (a) Jovan Rebula (Rsa) 5.54pm Kevin Kisner, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha), Shugo Imahira (Jpn)<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up forfor news on the biggest players and tournaments Every golfer in 2019 has been building up to this tournament and there are a number of players who head into Augusta on excellent form. The Europeans have dominated the PGA Tour in recent weeks, with Graeme McDowell, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari all recently winning while Justin Rose won the Farmers Insurance Open back in January. But the likes of Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods have all looked strong in the past few months. The action gets underway on Thursday with the first round tee times now announced. Find out below the full schedule.<doc-sep>Former champion Jordan Spieth insists he still has high expectations of himself in this week's Masters, despite his current form allowing him to fly under the radar. Spieth looks an unlikely contender for a second green jacket given that the former number one has slipped to 33rd in the world rankings and has failed to finish better than 30th in a strokeplay event in 2019. However, the three-time major winner's record in the Masters is simply extraordinary and includes second place on his debut in 2014, a record-breaking victory the following year and third in 2018 following a closing round of 64. A comparatively-modest 11th place in 2017 is his worst finish in five appearances and last year he led after 18 holes for the third time in four years following an opening 66, the ninth time in 17 rounds he had held at least a share of the lead at the end of the day. "My expectations are high this week," the 25-year-old said. "I feel great about the state of my game right now. "I feel like my recent results aren't a tell of where my game is actually at and I feel I've made a lot of strides in the last couple of days off the tee, which has been the only separation from being able to win golf tournaments over the last month or so.<doc-sep>Despite having won three of the last six majors he contested Brooks Koepka was not on many Green Jacket radar screens when he arrived at Augusta National this year. He is now. A golfer who prefers to let his play do his talking, Koepka delivered a bogey free six-under 66 that was highlighted by a back nine charge featuring four successive birdies to grab a share of the first round lead alongside Bryson DeChambeau. While DeChambeau, nicknamed the professor, is seen as the brains of the PGA Tour the muscular Koepka is viewed as the brawn having used to spend hours in the weight room. Koepka, however, has recently cut back on his gym time and paid more attention to his diet. His weight loss coincided with an equally noticeable drop in form that saw the 28-year-old slip into a pre-Masters slump, missing the cut at the Arnold Palmer and finishing outside the top 55 at both the Players Championship and WGC Dell Match Play. "I lift too many weights and I'm too big to play golf and then when I lose weight, I'm too small," said Koepka. "I don't know what to say. I'm too big and I'm too small.<doc-sep>
GET ready for four days of drama from a golfing paradise. The stunning Augusta National plays host to The Masters as the first Major of the year sees Patrick Reed defend his Green Jacket. 1 Patrick Reed won the 2018 Masters and is back to defend his title Credit: EPA When is The Masters 2019? THE tournament will take place between Thursday, April 11 and Sunday, April 14. As ever, it is being held at Augusta National in Georgia. Last year's champion Reed is aiming to become just the fourth man to retain the Green Jacket alongside Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. How can I watch it on TV? EVERY day of the tournament will be live on Sky Sports Golf and Main Event. If you want to stream, grab a NOW TV pass from £8.99 and watch on your TV box, games console, tablet, mobile or PC. After the cut on day two, all the action from the weekend will be also broadcast free-to-air on BBC TWO. BBC Masters schedule Friday, April 12 - Day 1 highlights (9.15am on red button, 7pm on BBC TWO and also via BBC iPlayer) Saturday, April 13 - Day 2 highlights (9.15am on red button, 1.15pm on BBC ONE and also via BBC iPlayer) Saturday, April 13 - Day 3 LIVE (7.30pm on BBC TWO and also via BBC iPlayer) Sunday, April 14 - Day 4 LIVE (6.30pm on BBC TWO and also via BBC iPlayer) SPORT LATEST CRYING BRU Fernandes breaks down in tears as Scholes slams Utd stars who 'accept losing' Revealed FLOP GEA De Gea let in 38th CONSECUTIVE penalty before missing own spot-kick in shootout Live Blog MAN UTD 1 (10) VILLARREAL 1 (11) Penalties heartbreak for United as De Gea misses in epic Exclusive THREE-PEAT De Bruyne has been nursing THREE injuries in build-up to Champions League final MAN UTD VERDICT Solskjaer blew chance to end trophy drought & it won't get easier than this Live Blog FOOTBALL NEWS LIVE Zidane QUITS Real Madrid, Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan What are the tee times?