By Mark Lamport-Stokes
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 3 (Reuters) – Four-times champion
Tiger Woods has been grouped with Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez
and South Korea’s Bae Sang-moon for the first two rounds of this
week’s Masters.
Woods, who has been installed as a 4-1 favourite by British
bookmakers Ladbrokes for the April 5-8 tournament, is scheduled
to tee off at 10:35 a.m. (1435 GMT) in Thursday’s opening round
at Augusta National.
Fellow American Phil Mickelson, a three-times Masters
winner, will launch his bid for a fifth major title in the
company of compatriot Hunter Mahan and Swede Peter Hanson in the
final group of the day.
Left-hander Mickelson and his playing partners start at 1:53
p.m. on Thursday.
British world number one Luke Donald, Italy’s Francesco
Molinari and American Nick Watney will tee off one group after
Woods, Jimenez and Bae.
U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, who squandered a four-shot
overnight lead with an eight-over-par 80 in the final round of
last year’s Masters, has been paired with 2009 winner Angel
Cabrera and long-hitting American Bubba Watson.
In other groupings, British world number three Lee Westwood
will set off with 2000 champion Vijay Singh of Fiji and American
Jim Furyk while holder Charl Schwartzel of South Africa has been
paired with PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley and U.S.
amateur champion Kelly Kraft.
First off at 7:50 a.m., following ceremonial tee shots by
golfing greats Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player,
will be Americans Craig Stadler and Brendan Steele and South
African Tim Clark.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Frank Pingue)
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